Griffith Park severed body parts identified

Jason Redmond/AP

Two unidentified women hike in Griffith Park near the Hollywood sign after a plastic bag containing a human head was discovered Tuesday by two women walking their dogs on a nearby trail off Canyon Drive.

The severed head, hands and feet found earlier this week on Griffith Park trails have been identified as Hervey Medellin, 66, according to the coroner's office.

Law enforcement sources who preferred to remain anonymous reportedly told the Los Angeles Times that Medellin was a former Mexicana Airlines employee who had lived in the area "for some time."

A friend told the Times that she had seen Medellin's apartment on TV Thursday after police served a warrant there. When she went to the apartment, she could not find him. She, like the police, spoke on the condition of anonymity.

LAPD placed a security hold on the case for the benefit of detectives still investigating the case, according to the Times.

It wasn't clear whether the man was first identified through a tip, according to the Times, but coroner's officials told the Times Thursday that they were able to obtain fingerprints from one of the severed hands.

This story has been updated.