Family of 4 with 2 children found dead in Garden Grove

GARDEN GROVE (FOX 11 / CNS) - Four members of a family, including two young children, were found dead inside a van that had been parked in a CVS drug store parking lot in Garden Grove for several days, police said Friday.

The victims, who were believed to be homeless, were discovered at 8:34 p.m. Thursday at 12031 Brookhurst St., said Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney.

A woman reported she was walking in the parking lot past the white Honda van and became aware of a strong foul odor coming from the vehicle, which was backed into a parking stall near the far northeast corner of the shopping center parking lot, Whitney said.

Responding officers saw that the van had its windows covered with blankets and a sunscreen before finding inside a man, a woman, a boy and a girl, Whitney said, adding the children appeared to be under the age of 4.

The victims did not appear to have suffered any trauma and the cause of death was not immediately determined, Whitney said. Autopsies are pending.

The female witness who discovered the victims said she had seen the white Honda van in the parking lot for several days and thought the family inside the van may have been homeless, according to Whitney.