Authorities in New Mexico say they have discovered at least 10 human skulls in and around a property near the southeastern border that may include the remains of a woman who has been missing since 2019.

Investigators found the remains while executing a search warrant for Cecil Villanueva, a man reported to law enforcement by a Jal City resident. The resident said he offered Villanueva a ride in his car and began having an “unsettling encounter” with him, Lea County Sheriff’s Office. said.

The resident, who authorities have not named, reported the interaction on Nov. 5. He said Villanueva was carrying two bags and “made alarming statements” while “throwing objects from the vehicle, some of which appeared to be human bones.” the sheriff’s office said. Investigators discovered bone fragments during a subsequent search of the area, and a pathologist later confirmed that they were in fact human bones. Forensic experts determined the findings included portions of a human skull and jaw, according to the sheriff.

There is evidence of the remains of between 10 and 20 human skulls on a Jal property where Villanueva stayed, which has been “associated with rumors of human remains,” the sheriff said. A team of investigators and a forensic anthropologist turned the remains over to the Albuquerque Medical Examiner’s Office. The medical examiner will analyze them and possibly identify them.

Law enforcement officials have so far released few details about the case, but said it “is closely related” to the disappearance of a woman named Angela McManes, who went missing in 2019 and lived near the property now under investigation.

“Authorities are working diligently to determine the connection between the remains and the McManes, as well as other possible victims,” ​​the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities have not said whether Villanueva has been arrested in the case. The man claims he bought the skulls online, CBS News affiliate KOSA reported on Tuesday. At the time, Lea County Undersheriff Michael Walker told station authorities they were still working to determine if the skulls they found were actual human skulls.

Anyone with information related to the investigation was asked to contact the Lea County Sheriff’s Office or the county’s local Crime Stoppers line. CBS News reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information, but did not immediately hear back.

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