Body found in burning car; neighbors forced to evacuate their homes

EAST POINT, Ga. — Authorities are investigating after a body was found inside a car engulfed in flames early Wednesday morning in an East Point neighborhood.

The medical examiner said they found a body in the passenger seat of the burning car.

Channel 2's Tom Jones was the first reporter at the scene on Connally Drive and Connally Court as East Point police and firefighters collected evidence.

Some East Point neighbors say they were forced to evacuate their homes after police found the burning car. There are still remnants of the burned car in the spot where police found it.

Channel 2 Action News received video of the car on fire from neighbors, who said they could hear the car seemingly explode.

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People who watched it burn say firefighters had a hard time putting it out. Once the fire was contained, that's when they discovered the body.

Rolando Gray lives in the area and told Jones he woke up and saw the car on fire, then heard the tires exploding.

“It's kind of weird to see a burning car, (in the) middle of the night, so it's kind of suspicious. You would figure something like that is going on, trying to get rid of some evidence or something. That's kind of weird,” Gray said.

Police say the body was burned beyond recognition. They are working to find out if it was a man or a woman.

The car was destroyed, and they said it was difficult to determine the make or model.

Cox Media Group