A death investigation is underway in Brea after a body was found inside a charred truck near a roadway early Thursday.
The vehicle fire was reported around 5:40 a.m. at East Carbon Canyon Road and North Olinda Drive, according to Brea police.
Arriving officers found the vehicle in trees and brush next to the road and engulfed in flames. The fire was eventually extinguished and a body was discovered inside, police said.
Detectives were trying to determine how the fire began, the person’s identity as well as the cause and manner of death.
Detectives were at the scene for hours processing the area and looking for evidence that may have been scattered as the fire was being put out.
“We look for anything that dropped out of the vehicle, any kind of potential evidence to help identify the person,” Lt. Chris Harvey said. “When a car or vehicle is on fire, things can blow away, spread out, be washed away by water, so we want to be very careful to preserve anything that might be there.”
Carbon Canyon was closed for hours after the discovery, but was reopened Thursday afternoon.
No further details about the incident have been released.
Anyone with information the incident is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Jason Celmer at 714- 990-7741 or jcelmer@cityofbrea.net.