Woman in her early 20s found dead in Newport office building; homicide suspected

A woman’s body was found in a Newport Beach office building early Tuesday, and police are investigating the death as a homicide.

Just after midnight, a woman called police to report that she had lost contact with her friend. The woman and a man had been looking for their friend after she stopped responding to their calls and texts late Monday, according to Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella.

Officers searched the Newport Corporate Plaza business complex in the 5000 block of Campus Drive and found the woman dead inside the Coast to Coast printing service office, according to coroner’s and police officials.

“Her friends seemed to know that’s where she was supposed to be,” Manzella said.

The business complex, between Teller and Von Karman avenues, is in an industrial area and is relatively quiet at night, Manzella said.

It’s unclear why the woman was at the complex or if she worked at the building.

Police released few details about the woman but said she was about 20 to 25 years old. It is unclear exactly how she died, police said.

There are no suspects in the investigation, authorities said. Police are working with the woman’s male friend, who was at the scene when police arrived, and detectives are looking for a white van that was at the scene about midnight.

“We’re hoping to speak to the person in the van,” Manzella said.

Coroner’s officials and detectives had three of the brick-sheathed office buildings and a portion of the parking lot along Campus Drive blocked off with police tape as they investigated.

Police extended the crime scene to the curb shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday after a reporter found a disposable glove that officials said might be evidence. The glove was found on the sidewalk along Campus Drive.