Man alleged to take body parts from accident

A Wasco man was arrested for allegedly removing human remains from the scene of an accident.

The accident occurred on March 22 at approximately 8:05 a.m., when a train fatally struck an individual at the Amtrak station in the city, according to the BNSF Railway and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

Rosendo Tellez, 28, of Wasco, was taken into custody for taking evidence from the scene and for multiple outstanding warrants. He was booked into the Kern County Jail.

The county Coroner’s Office had not released the name of the victim as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Sgt. Herbert Stout of the sheriff’s substation in Wasco.

In a video circulating widely on social media, an individual identified by authorities as the one who removed the body part from the scene. The footage captures him walking down a street in the vicinity, carrying the body part. At one point, he stoops down and appears to smell the lower leg and foot.

In a media request, BNSF Railway responded that the crew was not injured and that the incident is under investigation.