New homeowner finds decomposing body in backyard

September 15, 2018

A man raking leaves in his backyard found a decomposing body lying on the outside of his chain-link fence on the 1500 block of Clearview Road in Santa Barbara on Friday afternoon. [Cal Coast Times]

About two weeks ago, Dave Ariza and his wife moved into the home. A couple of days ago, they began noticing a foul odor coming from their back yard. Ariza then found the body near the fence line between a large ravine and some brush.

Sheriff deputies believe the severely decomposed body may have come down from a steep hillside next to the property. Because of the condition of the body, officials were not initially able to tell the gender or race of the decedent.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident.