Body found near San Diego believed to be missing girl

EL CAJON, Calif. -- The nude body of a child found Wednesday in a rural area east of San Diego is believed to be that of a 7-year-old girl who vanished from her home nearly a month ago, authorities said.

Volunteers who have searched for Danielle van Dam since her disappearance discovered the body near a cluster of oak trees.

A plastic necklace similar to one Danielle was wearing was found on the body. An earring matching the description of a pair the missing girl wore was also found, said San Diego County District Attorney Paul Pfingst.

"Tonight we believe that Danielle van Dam's body has been found," he said.

A positive identification of the body could take days.

Authorities had not determined the cause of death. Pfingst said investigators believe the body was dumped at the site about 25 miles east of San Diego.

Earlier, a sheriff's deputy at the scene had said the body had been partially burned. But authorities declined late Wednesday to discuss the condition of the remains, pending an autopsy, except to say they were badly decomposed.

"At this point we cannot positively confirm that it is Danielle," San Diego police Lt. Jim Collins said. "However, we don't have any other young children missing in the county that have been reported. It's a high probability that it is her."

Danielle was last seen on Feb. 1, when her father put her to bed in her family's San Diego home. She was discovered missing the next morning.