Woman drove for months with dead body

A California woman who befriended a homeless woman and let her sleep in her car told police she didn't know where to turn when the woman unexpectedly died - so she drove the body around for months along with a box of baking soda to hide the smell.

Officers with the Costa Mesa police found the unidentified body after getting a call about a car partially blocking a driveway, Sergeant Ed Everett said. When officers arrived, they noticed a stench and saw a leg poking out from a blanket and some clothes.

The partially mummified remains consisted of mostly skin and bones, he said.

The woman driving the car told police she met a homeless woman in a park in nearby Fountain Valley and told her she could sleep in her car.

But when the woman died 10 months ago, she was afraid to go to the police.