( CNN ) -- A body found near where a California teen vanished last week on her way home from summer school was confirmed Wednesday to be that of 17-year-old Norma Lopez , a Riverside County Sheriff 's Department spokesman said . The identification was made through dental records , according to Sgt . Joe Barja . Authorities are now treating the case as a homicide investigation , and are searching for any witnesses or information leading to a suspect . Barja declined to reveal the cause of death or reveal any injuries Lopez may have sustained . Lopez was last seen Thursday leaving summer class at Valley View High School in Moreno Valley , about 70 miles east of Los Angeles . She had planned to meet her younger sister and a friend at home . It is believed Lopez , who would have been a senior in the fall , took a short cut through a dirt field to reach the family 's residence . Her sister contacted the police when Lopez never returned home . The body was discovered around 3 p.m. Tuesday , said Deputy Melissa Nieburger of the Riverside County Sheriff 's Department . Nieburger said the body was found about two miles from where Lopez vanished . Police are looking for a green `` SUV type vehicle '' that was seen driving away from the area at the time of Lopez 's disappearance . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report .
Norma Lopez , 17 , disappeared last Thursday . Her body was found in a shallow grave on Saturday morning. Police are now treating the case as a homicide investigation .