HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The identity of a woman found in a suitcase in north Harris County has been released by the medical examiner's office.
Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences said the victim has been identified as Allison Lozano, 39, of Spring.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a report prior to the release of the victim's name.
Now the Harris County Sheriff's Office wants to know how she died and why was she stuffed in the suitcase.
A couple walking their dog made the gruesome discovery Sunday night in an isolated area of Imperial Valley Drive. They then flagged a deputy down after discovering the body.
Homicide investigators initially said the decomposing body appeared to be "intentionally dumped" and that they couldn't determine if it was a man or woman.
“It’s crazy, you know?” a nearby business owner told us. "We see a lot of police on the corner, and the next thing we hear about somebody finding a body over there but we don't know the person."
Ericka, who didn't want to give her last name, told us it's not the first time a body has been dumped in that area. She said another victim was found in the same area last year.
Detectives said their investigation will continue after the medical examiner's office completes an autopsy.
Lozano had been arrested for prostitution in the past, which may have made her an easy target.
“So there is definitely a lot of threats and coercion, and so there’s fear in just reporting it, yes, absolutely," Michelle Sacks, director of violence prevention and education for the Houston Area Women’s Center, told us.
She said people may be hesitant to come forward with information because of the nature of sex trafficking.
Along with Spring, investigators say Lozano had ties to San Antonio.
Anyone with information about Lozano or her whereabouts in the weeks prior to her disappearance is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers Houston at 713-222-TIPS(8477).