Car fire in Milwaukee becomes homicide investigation after body found in stolen vehicle

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - A person was found dead inside a burning vehicle Monday, July 6 in Milwaukee, and police are investigating the case as a homicide investigation after learning the car had been reported stolen.

Milwaukee police said officers responded to a car fire just before 10 p.m. Monday. When firefighters arrived, they found one person dead inside the vehicle. Police said the car had been reported stolen in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office has not identified the victim because of the severity of the burns.

Neighbors said they first realized something was wrong after hearing loud explosions.

A neighbor who asked not to be identified said, "We just hear boom, boom, boom. I thought it was fireworks at first but no, it was a car getting blown up."

The neighbor said smoke soon followed.

"I saw smoke and then as the police came I saw it was a car on fire. I was hoping there was nobody in there but somebody was in that car when it blew up," he said.

Nearby resident Dante Armstrong said he heard the explosion before seeing emergency crews respond.

"I heard a big boom and then when I came out I saw the ambulance and firetrucks," Armstrong said.

The investigation has left neighbors unsettled.

"It’s messed up that it’s in our neighborhood. There are kids around here, elderly people, this block is mainly elderly people. They need to keep this environment safe for us," the neighbor said.

Milwaukee police continue to investigate what led to the fire and the person's death. No additional information has been released.