Man's body found in burning vehicle in Sylmar

SYLMAR, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles police discovered the body of a man inside a burning car near the 210 Freeway in Sylmar Saturday. The incident is being investigated as a homicide.

Firefighters made the discovery after responding to a car fire in a secluded dead-end section of Harding Street, near Foothill Boulevard under a pedestrian bridge around 7:30 p.m.

Detectives say the deceased man was sitting in the front passenger seat of a blue 1993 Lexus.

"It appeared the man had bled a great deal, and we think he may have been shot prior to the fire starting," said Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department Mission Detective Division. "It appears someone wanted to torch the car to destroy evidence."

The man's exact cause of death has not been determined. He was described as a large Hispanic man in his mid-to-late 20s.

A witness told canvassing LAPD officers that they saw a person running across the pedestrian bridge just after the fire started.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information was urged to contact Detective Ryan Verna at (818) 838-9978. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

CNS contributed to this story.