A man removing chains from his car in a Highway 330 turnout made a grisly discovery on Monday afternoon-the body of a 28-year-old Torrance woman left in a plastic bag by the side of the road, authorities said.

The victim, Cori Daye Desmond, had last been seen Saturday night at a bar in Redondo Beach, said Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jodi Miller. Desmond's car was located Tuesday morning, a short distance away, by Redondo Beach police.

Desmond was a 1998 graduate of North Torrance High School and later earned a degree in criminal justice, a relative said. A woman with her name is listed on imdb.com, the Internet Movie Data Base, as having been an art department assistant on the 2008 comedy Man Overboad, directed by Oliver Robins. It could not be immediately confirmed whether that is the same woman, however.

According to a Sheriff's Department press release, a motorist pulled into a turnout on the downbound side of Highway 330, north of the middle passing lane, a little after 2 p.m.

While removing his chains the man noticed what he believed was a human foot protruding from a plastic bag, said California Highway Patrol Officer Gary Fernandez.

The bag had been placed beyond a dirt berm along the turnout, deputies said. The unidentified motorist flagged a passing Caltrans snow plow operator and summoned CHP Officer Jeff Basham, who was working at a nearby chain-control checkpoint.

"The CHP officer verified the remains were in fact human and contacted the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Twin Peaks station," the release said.

Fernandez said the bag had been placed in a shallow grave, and water from melting snow had washed away enough of its covering to expose the foot to view.

"Weather was definitely a factor," said Miller. "There was a lot of rain when they were attempting to recover the body."

Miller said few details of the woman's death are being released at this early stage of the investigation, including where the woman was killed, who she might have been with when last seen at the Bac Street Bar, 2422 Artesia Blvd., in Redondo Beach, why her body was left in the mountains and how it was brought here.

Authorities said Desmond, who had at one time worked at the Bac Street Bar, was employed as a waitress at Beaches restaurant, at the foot of the Manhattan Beach Pier, and had completed a shift there before going to the Bac Street late Saturday night.

She reportedly had argued with a patron at the bar, but witnesses told investigators the dispute had apparently calmed down before she left. A security camera reportedly documented her leaving the bar alone at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Sheriff's homicide detectives have worked round the clock on the case, Miller said, checking on numerous leads prompted by what she termed "great media coverage" of the killing.

Miller could not confirm a television report that Desmond's body had suffered blunt-force trauma. Other details, such as how the woman was killed and whether she was clothed, have also not been released. Miller said there was no evidence to indicate the woman's body had been picked at by wild animals.

Miller said Desmond's car, a dark gray 1998 Jeep Wrangler, was found parked in front of 1901 Mackay Lane. A check with mapquest.com showed that address to be right around the corner from the bar.

"We're trying to get extensive network coverage to get additional information on the case," Miller said. Anyone with knowledge that might help authorities solve the murder is urged to call Sheriff's Sgt. Tony De Cecio or Detective Trevis Newport at (909) 387-3589. Anyone wishing to provide information anonymously may call the We Tip hotline, (800) 78-CRIME (27463).