FRESNO, Calif. — Police are investigating what officers have described as a “heinous crime” after finding the body of a pregnant woman burned in an alley.
Fresno police told KSEE that a driver saw a fire and called 911. Maintenance crews and firefighters raced to the scene and found a body on fire.
“We understand the gravity of every homicide investigation,” Fresno police Lt. Paul Cervantes told The Fresno Bee. “But this particular one strikes a very deep chord. We will work night and day until we solve it.”
Police described the woman as “visibly pregnant,” but it was not clear how far along she was, the Los Angeles Times reported. Cervantes said the victim appeared to be in her 20s.
Investigators said it was not immediately clear whether the woman was alive when she was burned but said that the victim had other injuries beyond the burns, KSEE reported.
Officers told KFSN that there was evidence at the scene that an accelerant was used to set the victim on fire.
Investigators told The Fresno Bee that they have not yet identified the woman and don’t know whether she lived in the apartment complex nearby.
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