Several body parts discovered in two separate sewage plants in L.A. have led police to a homicide investigation, but they believe the body may have been dismembered by the sewage machinery.

A foot and calf were found in a bin that separates debris from the water at a treatment plant in Carson over the weekend; however, officials at the coroner’s office were hesitant to confirm that there had been a death based on the limbs.

“You can live without a foot and a leg or an arm. We can’t assume somebody’s dead just because they are missing a foot and a calf,” coroner’s Lt. Joe Bale said.

The discovery of a torso at a different plant in Bassett added to the mystery, and confirmed that there had been a death. The remains were found by maintenance workers who were checking for a blockage in the water line on Monday. Officials believe it may be the body of a Hispanic woman, and though they are investigating the case as a homicide, they say the condition of the body may be a result of what it went through at the plants and may have been dumped by way of a manhole on the street.

“Anything coming into this plant comes in through a 72-inch line. It goes through a centrifugal pump, so you can imagine what kind of damage to a person’s body would happen going through a centrifugal pump,” sheriff’s Lt. Mike Rosson said. “The line would have to be big enough to transport a body. Our understanding is from east of the 605 Freeway to about the La Verne/San Dimas area and from the 60 Freeway north, it could have come up from any of those arteries.”

Anyone with information is urged to call the LA County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.