Security guard found dead in parking lot of Malibu nursery
A death investigation is underway Tuesday at a nursery on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
Very few details were released, but authorities say the body of a man was found in the parking lot of Trancas Canyon Nursery, in the 30000 block of Pacific Coast Highway, at about 7 a.m. by a shopping center worker.
A lieutenant at the scene said the man, later identified as 58-year-old Inge Baumbach, was the overnight security guard at the shopping center and was found by an employee.
The man had suffered blunt force trauma to his head and upper torso, officials said. No weapon was found at the scene, and no suspect information was immediately available.
"I'm sure I know the guy, I have no idea. I haven't seen the body, but I'm sure," said Lidia, a Malibu resident.
Malibu, in many ways, is a small town where everyone knows everyone and crime is infrequent. So, news of a body found at a popular shopping center and investigators treating it as a suspicious death has stunned locals like Chris Frost, Chair of the Malibu Public Safety Commission.
"I'm frankly kind of surprised. This isn't something that's common to our area."
Officials from the sheriff's Lost Hills Station had described the investigation as a "possible assault that occurred overnight."
"At this point, no, we haven't found any weapons. We're canvassing the area for any video that may have captured the incident or any witnesses that may have seen or have some sort of information," said sheriff's homicide Lt. Vincent Ursini.
Investigators don't believe the victim was armed and though they are open to it being an accident, some locals are on edge.
"It's troubling, considering the fact we have such a safe community here," Erik Hagstrom told CBSLA.
Anyone with information about the investigation can call Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
