Law enforcement officers apprehended a 28-year-old man after he was observed strolling around and gesturing with a detached human leg belonging to an individual who had been fatally struck by a train in the vicinity.

Per an arrest report, Kern County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call at the Amtrak Station in Wasco on March 22 at 8:08am concerning an individual who had been struck by a northbound train. Upon arrival, Amtrak staff directed one of the deputies' attention to a man, later identified as Rosendo Tellez, walking down the street with something concealed under his sweater.

Approaching Tellez cautiously, the deputy was uncertain whether he was the injured party from the train collision. When the deputy neared him, Tellez purportedly extracted the concealed item from under his sweater and let it fall to the ground.

The object reportedly turned out to be a severed human left leg, cut off at the knee. Tellez was then placed in the deputy's patrol car. Investigators obtained footage allegedly showing Tellez "cradling the foot and laughing at the person recording him," according to reports.

Tellez allegedly claimed ownership of the leg, stating it was his, "even though he had both feet." Allegedly intending to transport the limb to the hospital, Tellez reportedly became frightened and fled the scene when individuals nearby began shouting at him.

Per the report, Tellez informed the deputy that he was aware of a man's death resulting from the train collision, but was unaware of the victim's identity.

An additional deputy, present at the scene, conversed with a nearby construction worker who possessed three videos depicting Tellez handling the severed leg. The worker observed Tellez reportedly striking the leg against a piece of construction machinery, which appeared to bear traces of blood.

Videos depict Tellez allegedly handling the severed leg in disturbing ways, including bringing it close to his face, biting it, and waving it around.

A deputy discovered body parts along the train tracks, confirming the victim's demise. The train conductor witnessed the victim walking onto the tracks despite warning signals.

Tellez faces four misdemeanor counts: removing human remains from a location other than a cemetery, disposing of human remains outside of a cemetery, destroying or concealing evidence and resisting a peace officer, according to KGET-TV.

Judge Marcos Camacho entered not guilty pleas on Tellez's behalf during his first court appearance on Tuesday. After being assigned an attorney, his pretrial conference is scheduled for next week.

Tags
Arrest, Investigation