Homicide probe launched after body found in burned car in Fallbrook

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Sheriff Homicide Detectives are investigating after one person was found dead inside a burned vehicle, which sparked a small brush fire off the side of the road in Fallbrook Saturday morning.

North County Fire received calls from another driver for reports of a single-car traffic collision, and first responders arrived around 6 a.m. in the 37300 block of De Luz Road, about one mile north of Sandia Creek Drive, to find a fully burned vehicle on the side of the road, North County Fire reports.

One person was found dead in the vehicle, North County Fire confirmed, and sheriff homicide detectives were called in around 9:45 a.m. to investigate.

Due to the suspicious nature of the incident, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office said in an update Saturday night that homicide detectives were taking over the investigation.

The vehicle fire spread to nearby vegetation, but the brush fire remained small and was knocked down quickly, North County Fire said.

The road was closed to traffic for several hours as crews worked to clear the charred vehicle and investigated the circumstances.

Anyone with more information is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Unit at 858-285-6330/after hours at 858-868-3200. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

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