Authorities have found one human skull and eight containers with potentially more at a Los Angeles-area shop that sells spiritual items.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s captain Steve Katz says deputies responded to the Compton business on Friday after a woman complained of animal cruelty.

When investigators arrived, Katz says they found a skull inside a pot. He says the coroner’s office collected the skull and eight other pots that may also contain skulls. The sheriff’s department said in a statement that they wanted to learn whether the bones were “legally possessed skeletal specimens”.

“There is nothing sinister here,” Katz told the Los Angeles Times. “The skull and possible eight other skulls in vessels were being used in Santería. The question is were the skeletal remains acquired appropriately.”

Katz says there’s no evidence of a homicide and that it appears the skull may have been purchased from a legal source and was being used for a religious ceremony. He says it’s unclear whether animal remains were found.

The sign outside the store reads “Omi Relekun” and describes itself in Spanish as a spiritual store and school.

Santería developed out of the beliefs of west African slaves, brought to the Caribbean in the 16th century, merged with indigenous religions and Catholicism. The faith includes ritual animal sacrifices, usually of chickens or a goats. Katz said police went to the store because of reports of animal cruelty, which they are still investigating.