Charred Body From Mt. Wilson Fire Was Missing Teen

LOS ANGELES, CA — Authorities Wednesday announced that a charred body found at the scene of the Mt. Wilson brush fire was that of a young man who went missing a week ago in Sylmar.

The body was that of 18-year-old Matthew Huerta, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

Huerta last had been seen about 11:30 a.m. Oct. 18 in the 13400 block of Bradley Avenue, and police had sought public help to find him, indicating that his family was "concerned for his safety because he is suicidal," according to the LAPD.

At that time, authorities had identified the young man as Matthew Hurtado, but they later determined that his last name was Huerta, the LAPD reported. An autopsy was pending to determine the cause of death.

The Mt. Wilson fire, which was reported about 5 a.m. on Oct. 17, scorched about 50 acres of brush and led to the precautionary evacuation of the landmark observatory for a time.

City News Service; Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department