Authorities have identified a woman found dead in a Santa Clarita apartment building last week as a student from a local college and are planning to ask the public for help in identifying a person of interest Thursday morning.
Deputies were conducting a welfare check in the Newhall community when they found the victim deceased on Feb. 4, 2025. Investigators later determined the death to be a homicide.
“Menghan Zhuang, 23 years old, was murdered at The Vistas condominium complex located at 21334 Nandina Lane,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release.
No further details about the homicide were provided in the release but the Sheriff’s Department stated that Zhuang was a student at the California Institute of Arts located about 5 miles away in Valencia.
Investigators also stated that they are trying to identify a person of interest described as a male seen entering Zhuang’s apartment the night before and then exiting from her second-story bedroom window the day her body was found.
Further details about the person of interest will be shared during a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. where officials will ask the public for help in identifying him.
Anyone with information about the incident was asked to contact the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers by dialing 800-222-8477 or go to the lacrimestoppers.org website.
