JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The medical examiner is now working to identify human remains found in a car pulled from the Ribault River Thursday afternoon that has left neighbors upset and even angry.
Police were called to the T.K. Stokes Boat Ramp Thursday morning after a fisherman spotted oil slicks in the river. A short time later a JSO marine unit boat was called to investigate. Using sonar, officers identified a car in the water. A tow truck pulled a mud-covered Buick out of the water.
Just after 4 p.m., police confirmed that remains were found in the back seat, but said it was too early to say if foul play was involved in the death.
Although police aren't yet saying if this is suspicious, neighbors in the area believe this could only mean one thing.
"I'm sure it had to have been, if someone was in the backseat, I'm sure somebody had to drive the car down," Mike London a neighbor said.
So far, police said that they only found one set of remains. While on scene, firefighters removed the car's roof and a medical examiner officer did what they could to preserve what was left.
Mike London has lived on this block for the last three years. He remembers the news about a year and a half ago when officers pulled another car from the exact same spot. He never imagined something like this happening in an area known to draw families to the water.
"A lot of kids go down to the park. A lot of people fish, there's also a lot of crabbers. They go out every morning there," London said.
Police told News4jax it will be a while before they know exactly who was in the backseat. For now, families and neighbors are left with questions.
JSO said the car, which is believed to be a Buick, is now at the police warehouse for further processing. They're also looking through missing persons reports in hopes of identifying these remains.