Police said the woman’s death appeared accidental and investigators found no indication of foul play or a threat to the public.
FOLSOM, Calif. — A woman was found dead in a fountain at a Folsom shopping center early Monday, prompting a police investigation that continued for several hours before detectives said her death likely resulted from an accident.
Officers and detectives responded at about 6 a.m. July 13 to the area of East Bidwell Street and Broadstone Parkway after a body was reported near a business, according to the Folsom Police Department. The location is within Broadstone Marketplace, a shopping center containing stores, restaurants and other businesses.
Police initially advised residents that officers were investigating a death near a business in the area. The department said there was nothing to suggest a danger to nearby customers, workers or residents. Detectives later announced that the adult woman’s death appeared to have been accidental and that they had found no indication of foul play.
Authorities did not explain what may have caused the woman to enter the fountain or provide details about the circumstances leading to her death. Police also did not say who reported the body, how long she may have been in the water or whether anyone witnessed what happened.
Police vehicles were seen near a fountain at the shopping center while investigators examined the scene. A manager at a nearby veterinary clinic told CBS Sacramento that investigators remained in the area until about 9:30 a.m. The police activity did not interrupt the clinic’s operations, the manager said.
The woman’s name, age and place of residence had not been released. Police said the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office would release her identity after officials confirmed it and notified her relatives.
The coroner’s office is responsible for determining the official cause and manner of death. That process can include an examination of the body, medical history, evidence collected at the scene and information provided by investigators. The police department’s preliminary finding that the death appeared accidental does not replace the coroner’s final determination.
No arrests were announced, and authorities said investigators had found no evidence suggesting criminal activity. Police did not release information about whether surveillance cameras at the shopping center captured events before the woman was found.
The investigation remained open as officials awaited the coroner’s findings. Police had not announced when additional information, including the woman’s identity or official cause of death, would be released.
Author note: Last updated July 14, 2026.