Police responded to a gruesome discovery Thursday inside an Arby’s freezer in New Iberia, Louisiana, multiple outlets report.
An employee discovered a woman’s body inside the walk-in freezer just before 6:30 p.m., prompting them to call law enforcement, according to local news outlet KATC. New Iberia Police arrived at the Arby’s restaurant located on Admiral Doyle Drive.
A body was found in the freezer of a New Iberia restaurant this evening. This is a developing story. Click here for updates: https://t.co/tec7sEtzTb https://t.co/mr5S9Dv87Z
— KATC TV3 (@KATCTV3) May 12, 2023
“So it was an employee that discovered the female deceased inside the cooler, (and) the deceased is an employee of the restaurant,” New Iberia Police Capt. Leland Laseter told KADN News 15.
Police are investigating the incident as a “suspicious death,” according to the outlet, but foul play is not suspected.
The woman’s death may have been an accident, the lead homicide investigator told KADN. (RELATED: Husband Arrested After Wife Is Found Wrapped In Blanket Inside Of Freezer)
“A situation like this is unusual, so we’re taking extra precautions during the investigation,” Laseter continued. “(We) pretty much have completed our process at the crime scene. After completely processing the crime scene… this does not seem like a homicide, it seems like an accident.”
He added that the findings are preliminary and not all information is confirmed.
A coroner transported the body to a morgue for an autopsy in order to corroborate the woman’s identity and cause of death, KADN reported.
“We’re going to re-examine all the evidence tomorrow and they’re going to conduct an autopsy to give us the cause and manner of death,” Laseter said, according to the outlet. “So there are a few more steps that we need to take before a (final) determination is made.”