A body was found in a Yolo County garbage truck. Here’s what authorities think happened

A person died in Dixon on Tuesday after climbing into a dumpster that was then collected by a garbage truck, authorities said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Dixon police responded to a garbage service that said they found a dead body in one of their trucks. The truck finished a route around Dixon and the body was found when the truck emptied its contents in a Yolo County dump.

Upon investigation, Dixon police, along with the Yolo County Sheriff/Coroner’s Office, determined the victim climbed into a dumpster around 4:30 a.m., covered himself in cardboard and remained inside when the dumpster was collected an hour later. The person then died in what police have deemed an accidental death.

The victim was identified Wednesday as Miguel Peñuelas, a Dixon resident.

City of Dixon spokeswoman Madeline Henry said police are still investigating the exact cause of the death. A further medical examination will be conducted by Yolo County, the Dixon Police Department wrote in a news release.

This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 9:52 AM.