Victoria police detectives are chasing leads in the suspicious death of a woman found behind Esquimalt's Archie Browning Sports Centre early Friday.
Police have not yet ruled the death a homicide but the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit has been brought in to help piece together clues as to how she died.
The woman's body was discovered at about 3: 30 a.m. by maintenance staff in the sports centre's parking lot, on the side of the building facing Joffre Street.
Friday afternoon, forensic analysts were trying to confirm the woman's identity through fingerprinting, Victoria police said.
"Right now, this is just a suspicious death, so no suspects or any reason for the public to be concerned," police spokesman Mike Tucker said at the scene.
Tucker would not say if there were obvious signs of foul play.
He also would not comment on the state of the body or how long the woman had been dead, but said she was dead when paramedics arrived.
It's likely the body will be sent to Vancouver for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
One Joffre Street resident, who lives in the house just over the fence from where the body was found, said he woke up about 3: 30 a.m. to ambulance lights flashing.
C.K. Tang said he saw paramedics doing CPR, trying to revive the woman, but to no avail.
"It was like a movie," he said.
Tang said he didn't hear anything suspicious such as screams or cries for help.
He talked to police officers canvassing the area and told them he didn't hear anything.
He said the body appeared to be clothed but he couldn't tell the age of the woman.
The coroner removed the body about 8: 30 a.m. after detectives collected evidence and a police dog sniffed for clues.
The centre was behind police tape until about 9: 45 a.m., when waiting hockey players were allowed into the arena.
Scott Hartman, the Town of Esquimalt's director of park and recreation services, said the arena was empty by 8 p.m. Thursday.
The maintenance worker who found the body is shaken up and was offered Victoria police victim services and employee assistance, Hartman said.
Victoria police want anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious to contact them at 250-995-7654. They can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
