85-year-old man arrested after woman’s body found in Fullerton church parking lot

An 85-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the death of a woman whose body was discovered Easter Sunday in the parking lot of a Fullerton church.

Earl Westergaard was booked on suspicion of murder, Fullerton police Sgt. Eric Bridges said Monday evening, a day after an elderly woman’s body was found in a parking lot near the Commonwealth Avenue and Gilbert Street intersection.

Authorities have not released the woman’s name. An autopsy scheduled for later in the week is expected to determine the exact cause of her death.

Bridges said Westergaard knew the woman, but declined to comment on the nature of their relationship.

A potential motive for the alleged slaying is still under investigation, the sergeant said, and it isn’t clear if the woman was killed in the parking lot or if her body was brought to the area after her death.

Detectives are still investigating the death, but do not believe there is any danger to the public. They are asking anyone with information regarding the death to contact Det. C. Hines at 714-451-5392 or at chines@fullertonpd.org.