Landscapers found a car buried in an Atherton backyard Thursday morning, police said.
This happened at a home on the 300 block of Stockbridge Avenue.
NBC Bay Area’s SkyRanger flew over the multi-million-dollar property and spotted investigators digging up what is being considered a possible crime scene.
Police believe the car has been in the ground since the 1990s and belonged to a previous owner of the home. They added that the current owner of the property, who called police, said they had no idea the car was there.
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Officials said the car was buried about 4 to 5 feet underground.
“Cadaver dogs were called to the scene. The cadaver dogs made a slight notification of possible human remains,” said Commander Dan Larsen of the Atherton Police Department.
Police said that no human remains were found as of Thursday night.
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The Menlo Park Fire District came to the neighborhood Thursday to assist with the digging.
The home was last sold in March 2020, according to real estate company Redfin.
"It's a mystery in my own neighborhood," said Atherton resident Athena Ogawa.
The mystery continued for many residents in the area as vehicles, including squad cars and SUVs, went in and out of the long driveway leading to the home.
As of Thursday night, few details had been released, leaving some neighbors bewildered.
“It's kind of strange,” said Atherton resident Peter Sun. “But usually, it’s pretty safe and it's like everyone is kind of doing their own thing.”
“It’s strange, but it was really fascinating to see this all this happening,” Ogawa said. "I just want to see how this plays out."
Police said the registered owner of the car is being investigated and they’re not releasing that person’s identity at this time.
