The body was discovered inside the American Fabric Company in the 700 block of East 9th Place at about 7 a.m. Officials say a fire ripped through the same commercial building on Friday. Firefighters were able to put out the fire in about 17 minutes.
Somehow, the fire rekindled Saturday morning. Firefighters and arson investigators returned to the scene, and that's when they found the man's body. Authorities say it appears he was a burglary suspect who died after breaking into the business.
"The preliminary investigation reveals that his cause of death is not a homicide; it looks more like an accidental death. It is not believed that the deceased person passed away as a result of the fire and that his cause of death is due to the fall that he had," said LAPD Officer Sally Madera.
The man has not yet been identified.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Damage is estimated at approximately $400,000.
