Suitcase of body parts found near Twitter HQ

Elizabeth Weise | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption San Francisco police find body parts in suitcase San Francisco police are investigating the discovery of human body parts stuffed inside a suitcase on the sidewalk of a downtown street. Jillian Kitchener reports.

SAN FRANCISCO — Police responding to reports of a suspicious package in an up-and-coming area here Wednesday afternoon instead found something horrific — a suitcase containing human body parts.

The body was so mutilated that officers had to call the medical examiner in to determine if it was from a human being or an animal, police spokeswoman Grace Gatpandan said.

The race and gender of the person were unknown, she said.

The roller-type suitcase had been left next to a pile of garbage and debris at 11th and Market streets, Gatpandan said.

Police initially responded to a report of a suspicious package at 4:14 p.m. Wednesday.

The block was shut down as part of the investigation and remained shut down late Wednesday night, she said.

More remains were found in the surrounding blocks. "It is unclear at this time if all the remains belong to one victim," Gatpandan said.

Police had a "preliminary, distinct suspect description," but it wasn't being released as officers are "actively attempting to locate this particular person of interest," Gatpandan said.

Exactly when the suitcase was left in the area is under investigation.

The street is in a long-troubled area with large numbers of homeless people. It is also just a block from Twitter headquarters and part of an emerging tech corridor.