Aspiring Model and Actress Found in California Apartment Apparently Died of Blunt Force Trauma

An aspiring actress and model whose body was found over the weekend in her Santa Monica apartment apparently died of blunt force trauma, police said Wednesday.

Detectives were still piecing together what may have happened to 21-year-old Juliana Maureen Redding, who was found dead in her Centinela Boulevard apartment Sunday evening.

Police believe Redding was the victim of an assault, and they are handling the case as a homicide. There were no clear signs of forced entry, and they have no suspects.

"We're still hoping that somebody will come forward and provide us with information that will lead us to the suspects or person responsible for her death," Santa Monica police Lt. Alex Padilla told FOX News on Wednesday. "We’re looking for the public’s assistance."

Padilla said that investigators are testing blood found on the sidewalk in front of Redding's ground-floor apartment, but aren't sure where it came from or whether it's connected to the investigation.

Police are still in the early stages of the probe, he said.

"At this point, we have not made any arrest," Padilla told MyFOXLa on Monday. "This is an ongoing investigation, and we are interviewing family, friends and neighbors to [garner] as much information as possible."

The Arizona native's body was discovered after her mother notified authorities that she hadn't been able to reach her daughter for several days.

A neighbor told The Los Angeles Times this week that she heard a loud noise coming from Redding's apartment, followed by the sounds of someone running past her door.

An autopsy was conducted Tuesday, but police have asked that the results "be released at a later date," Los Angeles County coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter told the Times.

"The preliminary investigation has revealed no bullet or stab wounds," Winter told the paper, though he declined to elaborate on Redding's injuries or disclose a cause or time of death.

KABC reported that the autopsy results won't be released for 30 to 60 days.

Police said they were working with DNA taken from the scene.

"We have collected some evidence at the crime scene that we're looking at, both DNA and other," Padilla told KABC. "And so any of that information will certainly be evaluated."

He added that police were conducting extensive interviews and were not ruling anyone out, including an ex-boyfriend in Arizona.

Redding lived in the one-bedroom apartment since November 2006, according to the Times. She paid $1,800 a month in rent and had a Yorkshire terrier named GiGi.

"She was a very lovely, young girl, and the dog was as lovely as she was," a neighbor, Tom Baxter, 59, told the newspaper.

The dog is now in a shelter, according to KABC.

Redding was working to make ends meet as a hostess at a tapas restaurant and wine bar in Venice, Calif., between modeling and acting gigs, the Times reported.

She had gotten a few small parts in films and briefly appeared in a music video. But recently, a former actor boyfriend told FOX News, she had also begun working as a waitress in a Hollywood strip club in order to make more money.

"She was one of the most beautiful angels that has ever walked on the planet," Greg Cipes told FOX. "She was truly breathtaking."

Cipes and Redding met while making a 2005 comedy film called "Kathy T Gives Good Hoover."

Friends and family were devastated about the young woman's death.

"She's one of the most beautiful people inside and out," pal Sherri Hoffman told the Times through tears. "This is really terrible."

Anyone with information on Redding or her death is asked to call the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8451, or (310) 458-8427 after hours, or the "WETIP" hotline: 800-78-CRIME.

Click here for more on this story from MyFOXLa.com.

Click here for more on this story from The Los Angeles Times.

FOX News' Catherine Donaldson-Evans contributed to this report.