As a kid, I loved an Easter egg hunt. It’s the only time when looking for stuff is actually fun and not just another chore. Brightly colored plastic eggs that can be filled with candy or, even better, money is enticing for all kids. That’s why egg hunts have become such a popular and common community occurrence across the world on Easter weekend. But for a group in Long Beach, California, their fun Easter activity turned into something from a Halloween movie. While they were diligently looking for eggs, they found something terrifying: human remains. Can you imagine thinking you’re going to get jelly beans and then actually finding a human skull?
It had to be a truly scary experience.
Officers from the Long Beach Police Department were called to DeForest Park and Wetlands around 5 p.m. on April 6, 2026, CBS LA reported.
“Due to the circumstances, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office is responding to the scene,” police noted.
Members of the family spoke with the news outlet off-camera, saying they found a human skull and other bones while their children were in the midst of looking for Easter eggs. The discovery was made feet away from the park’s walking path entrance.
The findings are still under investigation.
Authorities confirmed that human remains were found in the park on April 6, KABC reported.
The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said its Special Operations Response Team “recovered a skeletonized human skull and mandible and brought the recovered remains to the Forensic Science Center for further examination.”
Besides the skull, no other remains were found, police shared. Details such as age, gender, and cause of death are not yet available. According to police, the investigation is ongoing.
People were understandably concerned.
“It hurts because if it’s a child, that’s very sad,” Long Beach resident Jessica Flores told KTLA shortly after the discovery of the human remains. “I just hope they figure out who’s child this is.”
Marc Zaldana was walking the path near where the egg hunt was taking place. He told CBS LA that he encountered the children only moments after they made the discovery.
“At first we saw the family there, doing like an Easter egg hunt, but they were freaking out a little bit,” he explained. “I can only imagine, like for them, finding a dead, another kid. Must be tragic for them.”
“I’m sorry for whoever’s kids that even saw that, you know? It sounds pretty bad,” neighbor Fernando Guzman said while speaking to KABC.
Another Long Beach resident, Gabriel Rivas, told KABC that the discovery of the remains is concerning given how populated the area can be. “My girlfriend and I walk past here all the time and run. We feel it’s a safe trail so … surprising. I’m going to have to think twice,” he said.
