Fresno police investigate woman found dead in north Fresno dumpster

Fresno police were investigating after a woman’s body was found in a dumpster in north Fresno near Fallbrook Avenue, west of Fresno River Park, early Sunday morning. Chief Jerry Dyer said investigators are treating the death as a murder and are also looking at whether the victim may have been sexually assaulted.

Officers were called around 1 a.m. to the area after the body was discovered. Police have not released any suspect details, and the case remains under active investigation as detectives work to piece together what happened in the hours before the discovery.

The woman’s identity has not been released. Investigators have also not said how long the body had been in the dumpster or whether they believe the death happened at the scene or elsewhere before the body was left in north Fresno.

The location, just west of Fresno River Park in a heavily trafficked part of the city, has heightened concern because of how openly the body was found and the severity of the allegations now being examined. For now, police have not said whether there is any ongoing threat to the public, and the unanswered questions center on who the woman was, how she died, and who may be responsible.