Charred Body Found in Abandoned Boxcar
The charred body of a transient man was found Monday morning in an abandoned boxcar, and police said the death appears to be accidental.
About 7 a.m., firefighters were summoned to the railroad tracks near Bristol Lane and Glassell Street and saw smoke coming from a boxcar, Police Lt. Ed Tunstall said.
After putting out the small blaze, firefighters discovered the man’s body and called police.
Officers said the man had locked himself in the car and couldn’t escape when a fire erupted, Tunstall said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but authorities said it appears to be accidental.
The man, whose name was being withheld pending notification of his family, had been living in the boxcar.
Another homeless man living in another boxcar told police the victim had been drinking and smoking the previous night, Tunstall said.
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