Body found inside burning vehicle in St. Cloud, police say

Body found in burning car on quiet St. Cloud street

Authorities are investigating after a man’s body was discovered inside a burning car early Friday morning in a residential neighborhood of St. Cloud, Osceola County officials said.

An investigation is underway in St. Cloud after a body was found inside a burning car on Friday morning.

It happened in a neighborhood along Virginia Avenue, officials said.

What we know:

Authorities are investigating after a man’s body was discovered inside a burning car early Friday morning in a residential neighborhood of St. Cloud, Osceola County officials said.

Body found in burned-out vehicle in St. Cloud, police say

A man's body was found inside a burned-out vehicle early Friday morning in St. Cloud. Police identified the deceased as a man in his 60s. The cause of the fire and of his death remains under investigation.

Firefighters were called to the 400 block of Virginia Avenue around 4 a.m. after neighbors reported what sounded like gunshots and saw flames outside a home.

Responding crews found a Kia off the driveway and in the grass, fully engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the fire, firefighters discovered a man’s body inside the vehicle.

St. Cloud Fire Rescue put out the fire and discovered a body inside the vehicle. 

What we don't know:

The deceased has not been named. Authorities said the victim appeared to be in his 60s and had no identification. Neighbors told investigators they did not recognize the man.

The Medical Examiner was at the scene to help identify the person found dead inside the vehicle and to determine the cause of death. 

Investigators said it is unclear whether the car belonged to the victim. They believe the fire began in the engine but have not determined what caused it.

What they're saying:

Christine Mortimer has lived on the street for five years.

"I came out to see, because I heard the police chirp their siren," she said. "You saw something engulfed in flames. I thought it was the neighbor’s house. They evacuated the house — the whole family had to get out."

Mortimer and other neighbors are perplexed.

"It’s nobody who lives in the neighborhood that we know of," she said. "It’s definitely not the people who own the home or their neighbor."

Investigators said it is unclear whether the car belonged to the victim. They believe the fire began in the engine but have not determined what caused it.

"We’re not sure if it was a mechanical failure or if the driver experienced a medical episode," said Andrew Sullivan, St. Cloud Police and Fire spokesman. "That’s what we hope to uncover in our investigation today."

What's next:

The Osceola County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to confirm the man’s identity as authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire.