The body found in a shallow grave off of Highway 395 in Helendale on Sunday has been identified as that of a 38-year-old woman from Whittier.
According to the sheriff’s department, “On Sunday, January 11, 2026, at approximately 7:10 a.m., deputies from the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to assist the California Highway Patrol regarding a suspicious circumstances call involving a possible deceased person. The incident occurred in a desert field located east of U.S. Highway 395 and north of Buckthorne Canyon Road, in the unincorporated area north of Helendale.”
The sheriff’s department reported that while driving eastbound on Buckthorne Canyon Road, the reporting party observed what initially appeared to be a mannequin. “Upon closer inspection, it was determined to be a deceased individual,” according to the sheriff’s department. .
Detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s specialized investigations division, homicide detail responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. Detectives determined the body, in what was apparently intended to be a shallow grave, was found to be Krystal Haro 38 years of age, most recently of Whittier.
The department has not provided any further information as to how Haro was killed.