Human bones bought on eBay

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PASADENA, Calif., Feb. 20 (UPI) -- California police responding to a call about a trespasser said they discovered an altar with human bones that the property owner said she bought on eBay.

Lt. Terysa Rojas with the Pasadena Police Department Crimes Against Person's division said authorities responded to a call from a Pasadena homeowner about a trespasser on her property Sunday and they arrived to find the woman's back yard contained "a makeshift altar that included some bones," ABC News reported Wednesday.

"The coroner determined them to be human bones," Rojas said.

Police said they interviewed the homeowner, who said the altar and bones served a religious purpose. The woman said she practices Santeria, a West African and Caribbean religion.

Rojas said the woman told officers she purchased the bones on Internet auction site eBay.

"There are some sites where you can order human bones or skulls through eBay," Rojas said. "I don't know where they get them or how they get to put them on eBay. That's part of our investigation."

Police said the woman won't face charges due to the bones being used for a religious purpose.