Here is the official statement from the Los Angeles Police Department released Tuesday evening:
Today about 2:30 p.m., dog walkers in the Hollywood Hills discovered the severed head of a homicide victim.
The dog walkers had approximately nine dogs with them when two of the dogs started playing with an object in a bag. When they looked at the object, they realized it was a human head. They immediately notified the Park Rangers who in turn notified LAPD. Robbery Homicide Detectives have responded and will be handling the investigation.
The head appears to be male and did not appear to have been in the area long. The Coroner will make the final determination and will be picking up the remains tonight.
The crime scene is being guarded by LAPD officers, but investigators have suspended their investigation until daylight. There will be no further on scene investigation this evening.
City News Service reported earlier that the head was discovered in the hills just above the 3200 block of Canyon Drive by two women.
That stretch of road runs directly through Bronson Canyon Park, a park and hiking trail popular with local residents--especially dog walkers.
The trail also passes by the "Batcave," used in the original Batman and Robin series and winds up into Griffith Park near the Hollywood sign.
