NORTH HIGHLANDS, Calif. — A woman was found dead at a homeless camp in North Highlands Monday, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
Law enforcement officials are describing the North Highlands death as suspicious. The body was found at Longview Drive and Watt Avenue.
While the woman hasn't been identified, deputies described her as a 60-year-old white woman who was reported missing back on March 1.
Deputies were alerted to the death just before noon by a person from the homeless camp. She told authorities that the woman was dead inside of a tent.
Sgt. Amar Gandhi said the coroner found the death might be suspicious in nature, so homicide detectives are at the scene for the investigation.
The call came hours after a woman died in a mobile home fire at an encampment along Roseville Road, and around the time authorities found a body in a flooded area of Discovery Park.
"I don’t want to call it the wild wild west, but there’s a lot going on that goes unchecked until it’s reported and sometimes like in this case, maybe too late," said Amar Gandhi, spokesperson for the sheriff's office.
Bob Erlenbusch, with the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, called the death another tragic loss of life.
"If people had more access to shelter, and obviously affordable housing, we wouldn’t lose homeless people due to these kinds of tragedies," said Erlenbusch.
