The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

VIDEO: Body found in vehicle buried in mud in Palmdale [update: body ID’d]

by •


PALMDALE – A vehicle with a body inside was found Tuesday buried in six feet of mud in Palmdale, possibly a victim of the recent storm and resulting mudslide that slammed the area.

The buried vehicle was found about 12:50 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the 41800 block of Karen Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Firefighters arrived about 10 minutes later and a crew began digging the vehicle out, a fire department inspector said.

By late afternoon, a body had been found inside the vehicle, according to Tony Bell, a spokesman for county Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene to investigation the circumstances, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

“Preliminarily, detectives have learned Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel requested Sheriff’s units to assist with traffic control at the location while they worked to excavate a vehicle which was covered in mud in the drainage culvert. During the excavation, human remains were discovered,” sheriff’s officials said in the news release. [Read it here.]

A witness identified by ABC as Donna said she had called 911 on Thursday, Oct. 15, to report a vehicle caught in a debris flow and then disappearing.

Robert Michael Rasmussen [Facebook photo]
Robert Michael Rasmussen [Facebook photo]
The witness said she told a dispatcher the vehicle had floated for about five minutes and then sank into the debris flow.

At a news conference at the scene Tuesday night, Palmdale City Manager James Purtee said a call came in to authorities Thursday, Oct. 15, that a vehicle had gone into the catch basin. The Fire Department responded but did not find a vehicle in the ravine, Purtee said. They received calls since then, city staff continued to follow up and the vehicle and body were discovered Tuesday when city workers came back out with an excavator, Purtee said.

The victim had not been reported missing, Sheriff’s Homicide Lt. Victor Lewandowski said at the news conference.

“If we had known someone was missing, this would have been a top priority,” the city manager added.

The Palmdale area was hard hit Thursday, Oct. 15, by storms that caused mud and debris flows and flooding.

UPDATED 10.21.15: Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office identified the body as 49-year-old Robert Michael Rasmussen of Palmdale, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

UPDATE: Robert Rasmussen was house-sitting in Palmdale for his parents, who were visiting Israel, the Los Angeles Times reported. After not hearing from him for a few days, Rasmussen’s family began calling around but figured they would see him soon, his brother told the LA Times. Rasmussen was a father and painter, the Times reported.

–

 

Filed Under: Palmdale

44 comments for "VIDEO: Body found in vehicle buried in mud in Palmdale [update: body ID’d]"

  1. If you are concerned about Rex Perris and whether his residence is Lancaster or Agoura Hills/Malibu – you could propose a recall and supoena his cell phone records to see where he actually is most of the time.
    Condolences to his family and I hope you claim a handsome settlement from the parties involved that failed to adequately search for your son.

    • LOL…Rex, where did you come up with that hilarious screen name?

      Nobody really cares that Rex lives in Malibu…the problem is that he works in Lancaster.

      • Hey, Tim Scott

        I’m not all that familiar with cell phone records but do they show the location of the person using them like a landline phone number would?

        If you’re driving the 5 up the Central Valley, does the record pinpoint your exact location? Or, if you’re out in a boat?

        I figured you might know that answer.

        BTW That sure does does sound like rex. He almost slipped and referred to himself as R. Rex Parris in his comment.

        rex commenting here is as ridiculous as Trump sending tweets at 2AM on some nonsense. Obsessive paranoid behavior.

        • Your cell phone ‘pings’ at intervals to identify the closest tower, so that if you get a call it can be routed without a ‘start from scratch’ approach to trying to find you. How that shows up in records is an open question.

          According to TV cop shows the phone company can go back and tell the cops where your phone has been for the last forever. According to my more pragmatic view, once your phone pings the next time the system isn’t going to have any use for information on where it used to be, so this is most likely a single ping stored variable with the previous location being overwritten. Data COLLECTION is rampant, but in reality STORAGE of that data is nothing like what is depicted on TV or tin foil hat websites.

          Whether the tower carrying the call is recorded into the billing data for the call is another issue. That also has an associated question regarding storage. Once your bill is paid there really isn’t much use for the carrier in having a bunch of information on your calls, so I don’t know how long they would store that.

          • Thanks. I haven’t looked at my phone bills in years as they are paperless.

            I recall seeing the number and city/state on my landline paper bills years ago.

            I suspect our ‘rex’ was talking out his rear. Big surprise.

      • it’s not that he works in lancaster. he works OVER lancaster and palmdale and santa clarita and any other city or businesses he can sink his greedy teeth into. he works OVER the hard working people of lancaster with his ridiculous and idiotic schemes like the eye in the sky. the only people who thrive are his network of political supporters and dealmakers.

    • If that drain sump had a steel grate across the top every time it rained the grate would be fouled with debris and water would flow right across the top of it into someone’s yard…and then into their house. They got flooded this time anyway, but I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate being flooded every time it rains.

  3. I’m sure most of this responses come from people that work as a emergency responders. If you talk to a attorney there is a case that could be won over this!

    • that’s your problem…talking to plaintiffs attorneys. they are scum of the earth and the scourge of our nation. we have the worst one of all running our city. running it right into the ground. he sues everything from businesses to cities to school districts to VFW posts. scum. pure scum.

      • I don’t think there is anything wrong with contacting an attorney. It appears as though the emergency responders were negligent. They were told by an eyewitness a car was swept away. They should have done their job.

        Seems from the story they ‘looked’, threw up their hands and went ‘couldn’t find it’…

        • I honestly don’t believe they threw up their hands and left. You may have been watching too many “Just for Laugh’s” on T.V. People sworn to serve our community do their best. Sadly, we have had a few police that have destroyed this for so many; however, for the most part, they do their best to serve our community. No one can control what Mother Nature does and as I said earlier, you better prepare yourselves (YOU HAVE HAD MANY WARNINGS ON THE NEWS) for a huge storm to come in and do more damage and possibly take more lives. The car was buried under mud, 6 feet. Not even the roof was sticking out. And mud becomes like a road, it will bury a person alive which is what unfortunately happened in this case. Everyone wants to sue everyone. It’s scary even owning a home anymore because in a matter of minutes, it can be taken away from you from someone pulling a “Lawsuit” on you. I don’t believe for a moment that the firemen threw their hands up in the air and then loaded back up in their truck and left. I just will never believe that. This is a very unfortunate event and I would never wish it upon a soul. This poor man was buried alive, all alone. He did not deserve this, nor does anyone else. It took the crew all day to get to the vehicle so truthfully, even if they did dig that very day, he still would have been deceased – his entire car was buried. Mother Nature can be cruel but we can’t blame the police for firemen for this at all – they do an incredible job in our community and I am grateful for everything they do to protect us. My heart goes out to his entire family and friends. It is them that we have to think about now as they are left to mourn his precious life. I hope someone will set up a GO-FUND me page and or a car wash to help with any finances needed to bury this man. My heart just aches for his parents. Though I have never met him, I think this is the most saddest loss of life this year in our Valley. My heart hurts for him so much!

        • If the contacted attorney has any interest beyond seeing what he can collect in fees before the case is dropped he would ask what you are trying to prove.

          Just for the sake of argument, let’s say you are absolutely correct and can even prove that they looked, threw up their hands, and went home. How does that contribute to a wrongful death suit? To win you need to prove to a majority of ordinary people on a jury that the guy was alive and could have been kept alive through some available alternative course of action. You aren’t going to find ANYONE who can describe a course of action to rescue someone from that situation.

          If there was some sort of “wrongful failure to recover a body promptly” precedent maybe there would be a case to pursue. I personally find Tuesday to be reasonably prompt, under the circumstances, but you could possibly make a convincing argument.

        • Nice to see the vultures joining the conversation. Which one of the scum sucking offices to you work for?

  4. They just posted a photo of him – and see, his family was out of town. What a sad, sad day. I never met this man but I am so sorry for his loss. My deep condolences to his family and to everyone who loved him. May God give you the strength to get through these very tough days.

  5. I can’t imagine him dying alone – how sad. He could live out here alone, or could have been on a business trip to the AV. I am sure, not if it has not already happened, once he is I’d his family will be notified. What a very horrific way to die and I am really sorry he had to die alone and that he died the way he did. No human deserves this. My heart goes out to him family and friends who are left to mourn his loss. I am deeply sorry. We can’t blame anyone for his death – the woman so graciously called 911 and when the respondents came out, they did not find a body, or car. Let’s be honest, it was pretty deep in the mud and I am sure the mud covered it just like a mud road. Whomever what have thought? We all need to brace ourselves for El Nino because I think it’s going to be a tough one. We are so eager to judge the 911 responders but I have a feeling there are going to be more losses’ by the time this thing hits and is over. I really urge our community to get our roofs ready and get plenty of sand bags around our homes to protect it from as much damage as possible – something like this can happen to any of us.

  6. This is such a sad story. No one reported him missing? My condolences to the family for their loss, may he rest in peace.

  7. no wonder why it is the most despised city in the area. no wonder why people avoid shopping there and going to the blvd (besides the panhandling and lack of shopping). people avoid Lancaster because of the hated that spews from the mayor. he is a bully and a terrible neighbor. go away already. you have your mansion on the beach. stay there.

    • Ummmmmm WTF are you talking about?!

      M-8 is in Palmdale….. SMH….

      But that’s besides the point. Can’t believe I wasted 30 seconds of my life typing this. LOL

    • I’m sure that this happened on Palmdale soil. But Palmdale isn’t a city that is despised of however, a place to call home.

  11. The city needs to be held liable for this they obviously did not take the 911 call seriously. somebody slacked off and where to lazy to call in resources for that credible call. I guess if they can’t see you in distress they won’t investigate any further. Be prepared to die if you live in Palmdale.

    • Per the city manager, FD showed up and couldn’t locate the vehicle. The calls as taken seriously.

    • Lancaster commuter, you make as much sense as your mayor. Sue, sue, sue with no regard for the facts or the reality of the situation. Our city is full of such mensas. We are doomed.

    • Lancaster Commuter: I suggest that since you consider Palmdale to be at fault for natural disasters and unreliable in providing for your safety that you go around it instead of through it. By the way, the only way your city cares about you is if you are kissing the mayoral…ring…on a regular basis, so you should probably worry about that.

    • Is that you, rex?

      We all know that rex ‘commutes’ to Lancaster for the council meetings from his real residence somewhere near the beach. He certainly doesn’t want to spend much time in the city he’s been destroying. Ugh!!! There’s nothing to do and nowhere to shop other than a Walmart and who has ever seen rex in a Walmart?

      And, he ain’t welcome in Quartz Hill or Palmdale.

      Nice try badmouthing Palmdale once again, rex. Oh, and you’re suing Palmdale again over the power plant. You are like the Black Knight in Monty Pyton and the Holy Grail.

      • and they wonder why people avoid shopping there. and they wonder why they are the most hated city in the area and beyond. beyond all the craziness, beyond all the stupid ideas, beyond all the nepotism, there is this underlying jealousy and hatred for palmdale that comes from the top. people see it and reject it. go away paris. go far away.

    • Are you certain it is Palmdale handling the call?
      Depending which carrier and which tower took the call depends on how it routed and to which operations center.
      That particular spot is surrounded by Lancaster City on three sides and one side to Palmdale.

    • Lancaster Commuter: Please explain why a city is liable for this cause of death. 911 calls were handled accordingly, City crews began clean-up when prompted, and lastly mother nature took away someones life within seconds.

      • A case could possibly be made that the development plan was inadequate. If you look on Google street view at the accident scene there is a pretty obvious dry creek bed running through the vacant acreage south of M-8, and the development on the north is below street level. While that isn’t “negligent” by any measure, it could have been done better. The developer could have been required to improve M-8 with a drainage channel under the street, for example.

        That said, anyone living in the area had ample opportunity to see the same thing, yet numerous people drove into it anyway. The developer could have noted the problem on their own and included a fix in their development plan without prompting. It’s also distinctly possible that the development was built (and approved) in the county and subsequently annexed.

        All in all a bloodsucker of an attorney, like say, Rex Parris, might see a reason to try to push a jury into an award…but there would be no justice in it and it wouldn’t fix any damage or bring anyone back from the dead.

        • I’m well on my way to liking you, Tim.

          I spoke with my old friend today, who teaches seminars on Avalanche rescue in West Yellowstone, Montana. I asked him if there was any difference between mud and thick snow pack, when trying to locate a buried victim.
          He said, “No. But the guy was in his car, right? All they’d need was a metal detector.”
          But, Alas. It was too dark and too muddy. The First Responders went home to sleep.

          • I see a lot of cars stuck in mud making the news, and occasionally a car swept completely away, but in a relatively flat area a car just disappearing wouldn’t be something I would think of first thing. So I wouldn’t be likely to think of using a metal detector, but that does seem pretty smart.

            Looking at the scene on Google streets I can see where a car could disappear into a big enough hole for it to be submerged, but it’s a pretty fluky spot. To come along at the right moment, get washed into the hole before it filled up too much to fit the car…all in all a pretty wild piece of bad luck.

          • Back to google maps, street view. Go to M-8 and look just east of Karen Dr. It appears that a concrete collection basis is adjacent to the roadway and still west of the ravine , it has an iron gate. This is the area attention was focused in the photo of the recovery. If the vehicle was pushed in there by the flow there is no way the first responders would be able to see the vehicle and in the height of the storm, who could expect our first responders to probe the mud, with no idea how deep it was.
            TURN AROUND! DON’T DROWN!

        • The problem with the developer theory is that many developers are saddled with improving specific parts of any roads as they directly impact their specific development. When multiple developers, ie: tract developers, are involved and many hands have been on a project it’s difficult, if impossible, to point a finger at any specific entity except for possibly inspectors. And even at that….laws change, years can span between developments…it will be difficult to pinpoint responsibility beyond city/county entities.

          • You seem to be having trouble differentiating between DEVELOPERS and CONTRACTORS. That tract north of M-8 had a developer; just one, no matter how many contractors were involved.

            Those houses were built under a tract plan. In getting that tract plan approved that developer could have been fairly tasked with improvements to M-8 since it is a primary access for the development. Those improvements wouldn’t even have to be limited to the part immediately adjoining the development.

            This isn’t to say that such requirements SHOULD have been attached to the tract plan. There has to be some balance there. Demand too much and nothing gets built.