CRESTLINE – An unknown woman reported seeing a human hand sticking out from a cave beneath a glass bottle dump in the City of Crestline on Thursday.
The woman contacted the San Bernardino County Fire Department to report her finding, led firefighters to the scene and left the area near Highland and Scenic View Drives. Deputies were requested at the area sometime after 7 p.m. to investigate the discovery.
A small cave was found, which was dug into the hillside and a human hand peeked through the approximate ton of compacted soil had dislodged from the roof of the excavation. They were able to uncover a portion of the body, exposing a white plaid shirt, blue jeans, and a baseball cap, they were also able to determine the person was Hispanic or White.
With the loss of daylight and the risks to the recovery team, San Bernardino County Fire Department officials responded back to the scene the following day with the San Bernardino County Coroner, who collected the remains. The body was recovered at around 4:00 p.m. and was learned to be that of Jessica “Jace” Elyce Widner, 32, of Lake Arrowhead.
The exact cause of her death will be determined by the San Bernardino County Coroner but it is believed that she was buried in a cave-in of an excavation of the old landfill authorities said. Authorities would like to talk with the woman who made the discovery to collect additional information.
The incident is under investigation by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Anyone who believes that they may have information pertinent to the case should contact the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station at (909) 336-0600. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME or leave a tip on the We-Tip Website at www.wetip.com.
