Police who found the body of 5-year-old Cali Anderson in a Sacramento, California, storage facility May 15 provided new details surrounding the grisly discovery.
According to an affidavit obtained by KOLO, the storage unit belonged to Joe Garcia, who called authorities after finding a plastic drum containing the decomposing body of a young child.
Garcia told detectives that Tyler Anderson called him on May 11 asking if he could store items in his storage unit, according to the affidavit. On May 14, police say Tyler asked to store more things. On May 15, Garcia discovered Cali’s body and called authorities.
The Reno Police Department says Tyler and his wife, Averyauna Anderson, rented a U-Haul May 10 in Reno, Nevada, which was used to transport Cali’s body to Sacramento. The Andersons have two sons together. Cali, Tyler’s daughter, was found by the coroner to be malnourished and emaciated, according to the affidavit.
Authorities in Reno believe Cali died inside of the Anderson’s Reno apartment sometime within the last two weeks. During an interview with detectives, Averyuana allegedly said she knew Cali was ill but chose not to seek medical care because Cali was her husband’s daughter, and therefore his responsibility. The woman added that she, along with Tyler, attempted CPR and gave Cali a cold shower when they found her unresponsive, according to the affidavit.
As Tyler researched where to dispose of the corpse, the little girl’s body was kept inside of a duffel bag in a closet for about a week. Police say Averyauna admitted to using drugs with Tyler in the same room where they kept the body.
Authorities obtained a search warrant and said investigators subsequently found an animal crate with handcuffs attached to it in the Anderson’s bathroom. The home was kept in squalor conditions, according to police, who noted that it was extremely dirty with spoiled food strewn about the counters and flooring.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the couple was arrested May 16, with Tyler facing charges of manslaughter, and Averyauna facing a child abuse charge, as well as a charge of concealing or destroying evidence.
[Feature Photo: Averyauna Anderson, Tyler Anderson: Reno Police Department and Washoe County Jail]
