Police are investigating whether a body found buried in a Long Beach yard may be related to a missing person case that is now almost ten years old.

The Long Beach Police Department received a tip on Friday that there may be a dead body buried in the yard of a home on East 68th Way near Long Beach Boulevard. 

Upon further investigation of the area and a search by Los Angeles County Coroner's investigators and Long Beach Police Homicide detectives, police say human remains were found buried in the yard. 

Homicide detectives are now investigating whether the remains are related to the 2002 disappearance of Jose Luis Sanchez Vasquez, a 39-year-old Hispanic male who once lived at the residence where the remains were found.

Vasquez was originally reported missing by a family member in March of 2002 but in January of 2003, police say that same family member informed them Vasquez had relocated to Mexico and was no longer missing.

Police also say the Vasquez family no longer has any ties to the house where the human remains were found.

The coroners office is now investigating whether the found remains are those of Vasquez and will also work to determine an official cause of death. 

Police ask that anyone who may have information regarding the disappearance of Jose Luis Sanchez Vasquez or the missing persons case to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Terri Hubert or Mark Bigel at (562) 570-7244.