Homicide suspected after skull found

The human head found at a West Oakland recycling center probably came from outside the city and may have been that of a homicide victim, police said.

A worker at California Waste Solutions found the head about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday at the center at 1820 10th St.

Recycling workers described the remains to police as a "mummified skull," and investigators said the person apparently had been dead for months or years. Investigators would not say how the head may have been severed but that the person could have been the victim of foul play.

Police aren't sure where the head came from. Trucks from throughout Northern California make deliveries to the recycling plant.

"It's pretty wide open," said police Sgt. Tim Nolan. "We have some ideas of where it came from. But at this point, it's very difficult to narrow that down."

Investigators have not determined the person's gender or cause of death. The Alameda County coroner will conduct an autopsy, and police are consulting with a pathologist in hopes of identifying the victim.

Cadaver dogs from the sheriff's search-and-rescue team scoured the recycling center but did not find any evidence related to the case, said sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson.