Man douses blazing shopping cart and finds woman’s body inside, California police say

A man arriving at work in an industrial arts district in Los Angeles made a gruesome discovery when he doused a blazing shopping cart, California police said.

After extinguishing the flames with a fire extinguisher, the man found the charred body of a woman inside the cart about 5 a.m. Tuesday, March 1, police told KNBC.

Homicide detectives are investigating the incident in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, Los Angeles police told McClatchy News..

It’s unclear if the woman was alive or dead before being burned, KTLA reported. The man who discovered the body called 911.

“It’s very concerning,” George Gibbs, who works in a nearby warehouse, told KABC.

“It’s just incredibly sad,” nearby resident Genevieve Burress told KNBC. “This isn’t what this neighborhood is about at all.”

Police are examining security videos from the neighborhood in hopes of finding out more about the woman’s death, KTLA reported. The woman has not been identified.

Detectives ask that anyone with information contact 877-527-3247.

This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 8:17 AM with the headline "Man douses blazing shopping cart and finds woman’s body inside, California police say."