The search area expanded Tuesday after the remains were found by a woman walking her dog inside Canarsie Park at East 86th Street and Seaview Avenue around 6 p.m. Monday.
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That woman, Patricia Smith, said she initially thought it was a trash bag before looking closer and seeing spiky black hair.
"I came back and looked closer, and it was the body of a female with her limbs removed," she said. "I ran away...It was extremely nerve wracking. That was my first experience seeing something like that."
Police say the woman's arms and legs were located in the park Tuesday about a half-mile from the original crime scene.
Arms, legs found in park after discovery of dismembered body
Sources tell Eyewitness News police believe they know her identity, but the name has not yet been released.
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The initial remains were found about 15 feet off of a walkway, and it is not clear how long the body was there.
The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
"We do our normal walk here every Tuesday," Canarsie resident Michele Brown said. "But we're just heartbroken, all of us. My heart aches."
Some area residents expressed concern for their safety.
"I don't know who it is," resident Maryann Markovics said. "I think they dumped her. I can't believe that it happened here...I feel bad. I don't know who she was, and I don't know if they'll find out who she was. And that's the pathetic part."
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Sources tell Eyewitness News there are defining characteristics that may help identify the victim, including 5-inch braids and perhaps a distinctive tattoo.
The investigation is ongoing, and the park remains closed to the public.
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact police.
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