Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrived at the Chiquita Canyon landfill just west of the Santa Clarita Valley early Monday morning to search for evidence connected to the disappearance of Heidi Planck, a West LA mother who was last seen in October.

In a statement, the LAPD revealed that evidence suggested that 39-year-old Planck had died at a downtown LA apartment building, and further forensic investigation had led them to the Chiquita canyon landfill, located at 29201 Henry Mayo Drive in Castaic, a few miles westbound on Highway 126 from the greater Santa Clarita area.

“Today, local law enforcement began conducting excavation operations at Chiquita Canyon Landfill in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation and evidence that may have been brought to the landfill for disposal,” read a Monday morning statement from Chiquita Canyon. “Chiquita Canyon Landfill is fully cooperating with investigators. Investigators are following specific health and safety protocols approved by state, local and regional regulatory agencies, and are implementing measures to reduce any potential impacts to the local community resulting from such investigation, including dust and odor mitigation.”

Authorities expect to spend seven to 10 days searching the landfill, as they “excavate a specific area of the landfill, manually search it for human remains, and collect any related evidence,” according to an LAPD statement.

Plank was last seen on Oct.17, at an apartment complex at 1201 S. Hope Street, in downtown Los Angeles. Her dog was found wandering in the same building, and law enforcement officials say that forensic evidence was located inside the building which has led detectives to believe that an “incident” occurred which resulted in Planck’s death.

Planck’s 2017 Range Rover was discovered on Nov.4 in an underground residential parking garage a few blocks from that same apartment complex on S. Hope Street.

LAPD detectives, are working alongside the Los Angeles City Department of Public Works, the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, with the cooperation of Chiquita Canyon landfill.

The search may have an impact on community members who live around the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, especially Val Verde. Efforts are being made to minimize and mitigate that impact, officials said.

“We ask for the community’s understanding and support during this search and recovery effort,” read an LAPD statement.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Heidi Planck is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department, Missing Persons Unit, at (213) 996-1800 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to the website.

Tipsters may also visit the LAPD website, and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip, or RHDtipline@lapd.online .

Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.

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