Charred Body Discovered in Car in Irvine

A charred body was found today in a torched vehicle near the San Diego Creek in Irvine.

A jogger spotted the burned vehicle at the side of the shallow creek near Harvard Avenue and Michelson Drive and called police about 9:20 a.m., Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen said.

The vehicle and body were so badly burned that investigators were unable immediately to determine the gender of the victim or the make and model of the car, Engen said.

"There's no evidence of it being a collision, but we can't rule that out 100 percent," Engen said.

The only way for a vehicle to get to the creek is through an access road, Riparian View, that leads to the Michelson Water Reclamation Plant, Engen said.

It's a popular destination during the day for bird watchers, she said.

-- City News Service