Authorities are asking for help identifying a woman found dead next to a Southern California highway

Authorities are asking the public for help in identifying a woman found dead near a highway in Orange County.

In January 2006, Orange County Sheriff’s officials responded to reports of a body found off the Ortega Highway, a long stretch of road known as Highway 74 that winds through the rural Santa Ana mountain range.

According to the Orange County Register, two onlookers discovered the woman’s body lying about three meters below a cliff.

The woman is described as Hispanic, between the ages of 20 and 30. She weighed about 48 kilograms and had dark hair that reached mid-back.

She had a rose stem tattoo on her left forearm, freshly manicured fingernails with a heart-shaped pattern on each nail and a surgical scar below her navel. She was found wearing blue jeans and a black lycra top.

The woman’s cause of death has not yet been determined, but investigators told the OC Register that they believe the woman died elsewhere before being left on the side of the road.

Investigators said the woman had a cesarean section scar that appeared to be of Latin American origin. They noted that cesarean section scars in the United States are typically horizontal, while the woman’s scar was vertical.

With the help of a forensic artist from the Miami-Dade Police Department, a new portrait of the woman was created, along with pictures of her tattoo and nail design.

Anyone who may recognize her or has information about the case is asked to contact OC Sheriff Investigator Lauren Felix at 714-647-4579 or email [email protected].

Anonymous tips can be given to OC Crime Stoppers at 1-855-847-6227 or online at occrimestoppers.org.