Apple Valley dream home turns into nightmare for Southern California family

A Southern California woman’s dream home purchase turned into a nightmare when her 19-year-old son stumbled across mysterious skeletal remains buried in the backyard just days later.

The grisly discovery was made over the weekend at a home on Crest Drive in Apple Valley, despite the property having already undergone both an inspection and an appraisal before the sale, KTLA reports.

The woman, who said she is the home’s new owner, told the network her teenage son spotted the remains while outside on the property.

Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to the home Friday night into Saturday morning after receiving a report of human remains.

Investigators recovered multiple bones from the backyard. Authorities said there were no obvious signs of trauma, but the remains have been sent to the coroner for an autopsy. Detectives are also awaiting DNA results to identify the person.

The unsettling discovery stunned longtime neighbors Edward and Pamela Sanchez. “It’s kind of scary. We’ve never had any problems,” they said.

Neighbors explained the home had sat vacant for at least a year before it was recently purchased, though activity picked up in recent weeks.

“There was no activity over there until we started noticing cars, and they were staging for the estate sale,” Edward Sanchez said.

“The estate sale was about two weeks ago,” Pamela Sanchez added. “Now, I’m surprised they didn’t see it then.”

The couple said an elderly husband and wife had previously lived at the property before it became vacant.

“Our neighbor down the street told me the husband passed away, and I think not long after that, the wife, I think, moved out,” Pamela Sanchez said.

The discovery has left neighbors wondering who the remains belong to.

Abraham Negret, who had been hired by the home’s new owner, said he had recently visited the property to provide an estimate before the shocking find.

“We did an estimate and I think a day later, they found something in the back,” Negret said. Although work at the home has continued, he admitted the discovery has left him uneasy.

“I feel nervous about knowing that we can find something else in that tree,” he said.

Neighbors also recalled that authorities conducted a welfare check at the home when the elderly couple still lived there, though they said that occurred at least a year ago.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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