CALIFORNIA, Pa. — An 18-year-old PennWest California student was found dead inside a vehicle in California Borough, Washington County, early Thursday morning.
Police were called to the area of the California Public Library at 100 Wood Street at around 12:24 a.m.
According to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco, Karoline Heintz, of McMurray, was with family earlier in the day and was supposed to be returning to campus housing.
When Heintz never checked back in, Warco said family members tracked her vehicle’s location to Wood Street, not far from campus, and called 911 at around 12:14 a.m.
A cause and manner of death have not yet been determined. The Washington County Coroner’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
Channel 11 reached out to PennWest University, which released the following statement:
“PennWest University is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Karoline Heintz, who was a first-year student at the California campus. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy.
“Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the incident, which occurred off campus, and PennWest University police are cooperating fully with the investigation.”
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
