Police were dispatched to a Silicon Valley mansion worth multimillions of dollars Thursday morning after reports that a vehicle had been buried during a landscaping project.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the property in Atherton was built in 1990. It is estimated that it is worth $15 million. Paul Saab (a Meta software engineer) and Christal Condon Saab (an angel investor), purchased the seven-bedroom, five-bathroom home in March 2020.
KTVU reported that homeowners alerted police to the incident and pointed out that contractors were digging in the backyard for a landscaping project. The vehicle was described as a Mercedes by a contractor who worked on the property.
The police stated that the car had been buried between four and five feet in depth sometime in the 1990s. However, authorities didn’t reveal the circumstances that led to this conclusion. The vehicle’s interior contained concrete bags and dirt, which they noted.
Authorities were unsure why the vehicle had been buried so they brought in cadaver dogs to examine the scene. According to police, the dogs found evidence of human remains.
The New York Post was informed by Daniel Larsen, Atherton Police Commander, that no remains had been found at the time.
To help with the excavation of this vehicle, the local crime laboratory was called in. Larsen reported that the top of his car was unearthed on Thursday evening. Larsen stated that investigators would have to remove all dirt and debris from the vehicle’s interior to prevent any evidence from being compromised. This could take several days.
Authorities noted that the vehicle was not found by the current owners until long after they purchased the house.
Police are currently investigating the identity of the registered owner of the vehicle that was buried. KNTV reports that the vehicle’s VIN number and license plate are linked to the former owner of the house.
Fox News reports that records indicate that the 12643-square-foot home was owned by the previous owners from 1990 to 2014.
Investigators are still investigating the circumstances and motives for the mysterious buried vehicle. At this point, no further information has been provided.
