By KRWG News
Silver City – A homeless woman has been charged with a misdemeanor after being found next to a burning body at a crude campsite near Silver City.
Officials say 65-year-old Patricia Overton was arraigned Thursday in Silver City Magistrate court for failing to report a death.
Grant County sheriff's deputies were conducting a welfare check Wednesday when they discovered Overton with the body off Highway 180 west of Silver City. The woman, who says she is homeless, is being held on $500 bond at the Grant County jail.
Under New Mexico law, anyone who becomes aware of a sudden, violent or untimely death is required to report it immediately to law enforcement or medical investigators.
The body has not been identified. Investigators are awaiting autopsy results before deciding if more charges are warranted.
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Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.