Man dies after South L.A. car fire; officials believe the blaze was intentional

Terry Castleman
·1 min read
Man suffers burns after someone lights his car on fire with him inside. LAPD arrived and found a male severely burnt that had been inside of the burning 451 E 102nd St on Sunday August 6, 2023. LAFD paramedics transported the male with 3rd degree burns to an area hospital
A man died after he was pulled from a car that officials believe had been set afire. First responders found a male severely burned in South Los Angeles on Sunday. Authorities have not identified the victim. (OnScene.TV)

A 40-year-old man died after he was pulled by firefighters from a burning car in South Los Angeles over the weekend, authorities said.

The victim was not identified and investigators did not explain what the man was doing in the car, except to say they believe the "vehicle was set on fire." The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

On Sunday morning at 1:39 a.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department fielded a call about a vehicle fire in South L.A. The first unit arrived four minutes later "to discover a vehicle ablaze" on East 102nd Street near Avalon Boulevard, said LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey.

"The fire was quickly extinguished and confined to the vehicle," he said.

At the scene, a "male, 40 years old, conscious and breathing" was recovered from the vehicle, said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Melissa Podany.

Investigators believe that the "vehicle was set on fire," she said. Police were not releasing information on a suspect.

The victim was "transported to [the] hospital in critical condition," arriving there at 2:18 a.m., according to Humphreys.

Later in the day, he succumbed to his injuries, officials said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.