Witnesses say woman, child stayed inside burning SUV in Athens Park

ATHENS PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A woman and young child died after witnesses say the woman stayed inside a burning SUV in Athens Park Thursday night.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies received calls of a car on fire in the 300 block of West 124th Street around 9:40 p.m. When authorities arrived, an SUV was fully engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly knocked down and two bodies were discovered inside.

During the initial investigation, witnesses at the park said a woman was standing by the car with a child between the age of 3 and 4. As the car caught fire, she kept getting in and out of it, and at one point placed the child in the car as she climbed in.

Witnesses said they yelled at her to get out of the car, but she ignored them. The flames overtook the vehicle, killing her and the child.

The Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner will determine the identities of the woman and child.

Authorities are investigating why the woman may have wanted to kill herself and the child and how the fire started. No further information was available.