South Bay authorities search for clues where human skull was found

LOS GATOS, Calif. (KTVU) -- Santa Clara County Sheriff investigators were back at the scene Tuesday of where a human skull was found earlier this month in unincorporated Los Gatos.

Sky Fox was overhead the Santa Cruz Mountains as more than a dozen searchers from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office combed the heavily wooded area off Montevina Road in Los Gatos, an area locals refer to "Rattlesnake Curve."

"I have no idea what they are looking for," said Monty Lucas of Campbell. "They are kind of digging around in the brush."

Lucas was on his way to meet with clients at the top of the hill.

"It definitely looked like there were forensics," said Lucas. "I know they had dogs there. I imagine they were looking for stuff."

The Sheriff's Office confirms crime scene investigators were back with their cadaver dogs looking for more remains and broadening their search after a hiker found a human skull on a hillside 30 feet from the road two weeks ago. They focused their efforts in the secluded areas near the Lexington Reservoir.

"We were out there doing our due diligence," said Sgt. James Jensen of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. "We did find a human skull two weeks ago. We had some chainsaws. we were cutting away some foliage in the area to allow our cadaver dogs to do more searching."

The sheriff's office would not say what prompted their return or why it took two weeks for investigators to go back to the scene other than to say many of the searchers are volunteers. A sheriff's patrol car limited access to the road to those who live and work there.

"When they said they found a skull, I wondered did they distribute parts throughout, did an animal get to it," said Erica Drew, who works in Los Gatos.

Drew works as a landscape architect for the residents and travels the road once a week. She's among many people in the area looking for answers.

"It's kind of creepy," said Drew. "It's pretty remote back here. It makes me feel like being more aware of being alone out here."

As of now, the coroner's office is still trying to determine who the remains belong to, the gender, and how old they are.