Local News in Brief : Sunset Beach : Stab Wounds Found in Man’s Charred Body

A man whose charred body was found in his burned apartment in Sunset Beach on Monday had been stabbed repeatedly, authorities said Tuesday.

The body was burned beyond recognition, and authorities were awaiting dental records to determine his identity, Sheriff’s Lt. Robert Rivas said.

An autopsy report showed the man died from multiple stab wounds to the torso, not as a result of the fire, Rivas said.

“We are handling the case as a homicide now,” Rivas said. “If he died of stab wounds, . . . we have to assume the fire started afterwards.”

The cause of the fire had not been determined, Rivas said. The fire did about $25,000 damage to the small, second-floor apartment in the 16000 block of 9th Street, officials said.

Firefighters discovered the body in a bed shortly after extinguishing the blaze about 1 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Neighbors had said a 29-year-old man lived there with a female roommate, but authorities refused to speculate on whether he was the victim.

“A lot of people are assuming it is the man who lived there, but we cannot assume anything,” Rivas said.