Toddler Dies in Van Fire Near Alpine
A 3-year-old girl died and a 35-year-old man suffered second-degree burns in a car fire near Alpine early Saturday morning, a San Diego Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman said.
At 5:36 a.m., fire units from the Rural Fire Protection District found a 1978 Chevy van at the viewpoint off Interstate 8 east of Alpine engulfed in flames. After suppressing the fire, firefighters found James Michael Glosson, who suffered burns to his face, hands, arms and back, and the remains of 3-year-old Brittany Lea Cook. Glosson was transported to UCSD Burn Unit.
Glosson was later arrested for suspicion of auto theft after investigators learned the vehicle had been stolen in Hawthorne.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Sheriff’s Department had no more information on the toddler or her relationship to Glosson.
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