Woman’s burning body found in shopping cart in Chinatown

A woman’s burning body was discovered in a shopping cart in Chinatown, and police are investigating.

A man found the shopping cart ablaze around 5 a.m. Tuesday near Wilhardt and Main streets, according to Lt. Ryan Rabbett of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The man tried to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher when he realized there was a “body wedged inside the shopping cart” and dialed 911, Rabbett said.

A 26-year-old woman was found dead inside. She has been identified, but authorities are not releasing her name until her family has been notified, he said.

There is no clear motive, but police are handling it as a suspicious death investigation.

“We can’t say with 100% certainty that the person was actually murdered. There could be a bunch of different scenarios that played out prior to this,” Rabbett said.

Investigators have obtained some video, which is “shedding a little bit more light” on the situation, Rabbett said, but he could not provide further details other than to say that a man is depicted in the video.

Much of the investigation will depend on what the coroner’s office finds, he added.

The death does not appear related to any other incidents.