Burned Body Discovered In Garden Grove

GARDEN GROVE, CA — A suspicious death in Garden Grove, after an unidentified body found in the front seat of a scorched and burned out Prius. The Garden Grove Fire Department made the grizzly discovery early Tuesday morning when they discovered a body inside a burning car. Garden Grove Police stated that the body was found on the passenger side, and could not be immediately identified as a man or woman.

The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. in the 9800 block of Garden Grove Boulevard, in the Korean District, according to reports from the scene.

Garden Grove Police Department detectives are now researching the case by watching security video from surrounding businesses. Cameras caught the Prius arriving at the Garden Grove Boulevard strip mall, and remaining parked 20 minutes before the fire began, according to Garden Grove Lt. Carl Whitney.

"The Orange County Coroner will look to see if the person was deceased before the fire began," Whitney told reporters from the scene. Arson investigators are also investigating the vehicle for clues.

Meanwhile, businesses were unable to open Tuesday morning, as the parking lot was cordoned off by yellow security tape while an investigation was conducted.

Garden Grove police say body in burned-out car was found on passenger side; still cannot ID as man or woman. WATCH @ABC7 11am. | FULL STORY —> https://t.co/066R5E94Xz pic.twitter.com/2kM8viiqbH

— Marc Cota-Robles (@abc7marccr) February" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/abc7marccr... 13, 2018

Photo: Renee Schiavone Patch