Worcester Police Investigating Body Found In Burning Car
WORCESTER (CBS) -- A body was found inside a burning car in Worcester late Wednesday night.
Fire officials said they responded at 10:30 p.m. to a vehicle that was fully engulfed in the woods off Swan Avenue. After putting out the flames, firefighters found what were believed to be human remains, Deputy Worcester Fire Chief John Sullivan told WBZ-TV.
The fire department contacted police, who secured the crime scene.
Officials say the area around Swan Avenue is notorious for illegal dumping, and the fire department has responded in the past to vehicle fires for people trying to get rid of stolen or abandoned cars.
"I'm afraid to walk up that hill," one neighbor told WBZ NewsRadio. "I don't walk up there because it's spooky."
Neighbors in the area reported hearing possible gunshots in the area Wednesday night, which is apparently not that unusual for the woods near Worcester Airport.
The victim is believed to be a woman, although police won't confirm that.
Thursday afternoon, a distraught young woman showed up at the crime scene, fearing the victim might be her 24-year-old sister. Her family has not seen her in 36 hours and say her Facebook page has gone abnormally silent.
No other information has been released.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports: