OXNARD, Calif.—Investigators say a skull and jawbone found in a California trash bin may be part of a religious death shrine.

Oxnard police say homicide detectives and the Ventura County coroner are trying to determine how the bones got into the downtown trash bin and if the skull and jawbone are human.

A recycler rummaging through the trash bin found the body parts on Thursday.

Police Senior Officer Luis McArthur tells the Ventura County Star ( http://bit.ly/QinA9K) that the bones appear to be weathered and don't seem to be from a recent slaying.

Investigators suspect the skull was part of a Santa Muerte shrine.

Santa Muerte, or Saint Death, is a Grim Reaper-like occult or religious figure worshipped by some in Mexico and the United States.


Information from: Ventura County Star, http://venturacountystar.com