Frying pan to hot tub 
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http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/3327788.htm
Posted on Fri, May. 24, 2002
Body found in San Jose hot tub
POLICE THINK CORPSE PROBABLY IS WOMAN WHO FLED HIT-AND-RUN ALMOST 3 WEEKS AGO
By Roxanne Stites
ercury News
A contractor hired to work on a hot tub in the back yard of an East San Jose home found a decomposed body floating face down under a tightly closed hardcover, police said.
The resident was in such disbelief that he poked the body with a shovel to make sure it wasn't part of a prank. Even more strange is how police officers think the body got there.
Almost three weeks ago, on May 5, two women fled on foot from a hit-and-run crash in the Alum Rock neighborhood, according to police spokesman Joseph Deras. One of the women, he said, was seen jumping a fence to the home on Hobie Lane where the body was found.
But the threatening barking of two large dogs, along with a ``Beware'' sign, probably stopped officers from searching that yard, police said. They never caught up to either woman.
Then, at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, police got a phone call from the Hobie Lane resident who told them about the body.
Water discoloration and the position of the body prevented police from confirming the victim was a woman, but that's the assumption, Deras said. And one theory is that the woman hopped in the water to avoid detection and perhaps was trapped under the vinyl lid, which appeared to shut tightly.
``I don't know if it's airtight, but it seems to have a suction affect,'' said Deras, who added that it took two officers to pull the lid off. ``If you're inside, I don't know if you can get out.''
An autopsy is expected today to determine the cause of death and the victim's identity.
Police are also looking into other possibilities.
The California Highway Patrol said a motorcycle officer stopped a woman March 22 for allegedly speeding in a stolen van, but she took off in the Nissan Quest and crashed it on Mahoney Avenue, which is just around the corner from the house on Hobie Lane. The CHP was unable to find the woman, but witnesses said they saw her running around in the neighborhood.
The resident of the Hobie Lane home hadn't used the hot tub for an extended period of time, officials said. Before the body was detected, he had used the cover as a shelf, stacking an animal carrier and yard items on it.
Submitted on 05/24/2002
Submitted by:
Dave Radcliffe
Reference:
San Jose Mercury News 5/24/02
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