Body Found in Lot Near Home of Missing Girl

The badly decomposed body of a young female was found Monday morning in an empty lot in Wilmington, police said, less than half a mile from the home of a 12-year-old girl who was reported missing from her bedroom early Thursday.

Police emphasized that the body, which was discovered under a blanket by an 8-year-old boy, had not been identified, and that dental records would be needed to make a positive identification. An autopsy was scheduled to be completed today.

Monique Arroyo was last seen by her mother about 1 a.m. Thursday, sleeping in her second-story bedroom, said Los Angeles Police Lt. John Dunkin. The girl’s father discovered her missing about 5:30 a.m. that morning.

An uncle of the girl, who has previously been convicted of rape, was arrested later Thursday on a parole violation. He is being questioned about the girl’s disappearance.