Man Burned to Death in Bay Park: Police

San Diego, CA — A man was burned to death Sunday in Bay Park, and homicide detectives with the San Diego Police Department are trying to track down witnesses in an effort to find out who is responsible for setting him on fire.

City police and fire personnel discovered the man on fire just after 8 a.m. when they responded to a report of a fire in the 2700 block of Morena Boulevard, between northbound Interstate 5 and the train tracks, near Clairemont and Mission Bay drives.

San Diego police Lt. Manny Del Toro said upon extinguishing the blaze, firefighters discovered "the deceased and badly burned body of a male adult," whose identity they could not immediately determine.

"It is also unknown if the male was already dead at the time of the burning or if he suffered any additional trauma," Del Toro said.

The area where the victim was found was not a homeless encampment, but the man may have been homeless, Del Toro told Patch.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office took custody of the body and will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, he said.

Meantime, detectives are working alongside members of the Metro Arson Strike Team to conduct an investigation, which includes looking for witnesses in the area.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed a person of interest and potential suspect as running from the scene around the time the fire was reported," Del Toro said. "That person is described as a male ranging in age from 30-50 years old wearing a tan or brown jacket or sweatshirt. The male also wore a baseball hat of an unknown color and was carrying a backpack. The unknown male was seen running southbound from the scene and ultimately crossed the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 to the center divider."

Additionally, Del Toro said, a man was seen carrying a gas can within two blocks of the burn site before the radio calls began to come in.

Anyone with information related to the incident was encouraged to call the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.