Sylmar : Man’s Burning Body Found Near Freeway

A motorist spotted a burning body on the shoulder of the Foothill Freeway on Wednesday morning, and the ensuing homicide investigation closed the freeway for more than seven hours.

The motorist spotted what he thought was a grass fire on the west shoulder of the freeway at Hubbard Street about 4:10 a.m., Los Angeles Police Detective Frank Bishop said.

The motorist reported the fire to Sgt. Tom Gandara at the LAPD’s Foothill Division.

The two returned to the scene, and Gandara saw that the fire was caused by a burning body. Gandara put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher, police said.

Fire Department arson investigators and homicide detectives scoured the scene for several hours, but found few clues as to how the burning body came to be on the freeway.

There were no vehicles on the freeway’s shoulder, police said. Late Wednesday, detectives say they still had not identified the dead man, who was described as a heavyset African American, between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-4.

The coroner’s office will determine the cause of death, Bishop said.

“So far, it’s a big whodunit,” Bishop said. “We don’t know if he was killed there or dropped there.”

Police are searching for witnesses who were on the freeway when the body was set ablaze.