The sheriff’s department is investigating the discovery of human remains found this afternoon in Calistoga, Napa County Sheriff's Capt. Tracey Stuart said this afternoon.
At 1 p.m, a vineyard worker reported finding a body on property in 700 block of Silverado Trail near Brannon Street, according to Napa County Sheriff’s Office press release.
The remains reportedly were found on the Kenefick Ranch that contains vineyards and a winery. Stuart said the property owner notified the sheriff's office at 1:04 p.m.
Sheriff’s deputies and investigators responded to the scene near a creek bed where the remains were found. The human skeleton remains is believed to have been washed down the hillside by the recent heavy rains to a creek bed, according to Napa County Sheriff’s Sgt. Doug Pace.
As of 6:45 tonight, investigators have released little information such as sex, age and how long the body has been in the vineyard.
“It is so early in the investigation. We got the call at 1 p.m. Evidence techs processed the scene until dark. The area has been sealed off, and deputies are watching it until morning when the evidence techs will return to the scene,” Pace said.
Because of the condition of the remains, it would appear the person has been dead for some time, Pace said.
The human remains were "not immediately identifiable," Stuart said. Sheriff's personnel will remain at the scene overnight to secure the area, Stuart said.
Sheriff's investigators will resume gathering evidence at the scene at daylight tomorrow.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect name for Sgt. Doug Pace. We regret the error.
