The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for a homicide suspect after a man’s body was found inside a burned RV on Monday, January 1. Based on the reports, the incident happened around 11:30 p.m. on Budlong Avenue near Browning Boulevard.
Upon arriving, firefighters quickly extinguished the flames burning the RV and found the body of a 65-year-old man inside. According to Officer Lizeth Lomeli, the victim was homeless and lived in this RV. His identity has not been released as the coroner’s office is waiting for confirmation from the victim’s family.
LAPD has been investigating the incident since Tuesday. Reports stated a witness said a man approached the RV and threw something into the vehicle before it caught fire. The suspect left the scene on foot and is now wanted for manslaughter.
Reports also stated the suspect might have been involved in an altercation with the victim before the incident. The officials might have arrested the suspect for that altercation before allegedly murdering the victim.
However, LAPD would not say if the investigators have identified the suspect involved in that altercation as the same person involved with this murder.
Man arrested for arson, homicide
In Battle Creek, Michigan, a man was arraigned in Calhoun County District Courtroom on Tuesday for murdering his father.
On December 27, 2022, 34-year-old Cody Alan Hurt was arrested for starting a house fire and killing his father, 61-year-old Randall Hurt.
According to the reports, the officials received a call about the incident at 5 p.m. on December 27. The incident took place in the 200 block of Laurel Drive. Upon arriving, firefighters discovered the fire had spread throughout the first floor. Firefighters spent about 30 minutes extinguishing them. Investigators determined the fire started near the back of the house, in a laundry area.
While attempting to control the fire, firefighters found Randall Hurt on a couch in the living area in front of the house. He was already deceased when the firefighters found him. One firefighter was also injured during the fire and was taken to Bronson Battle Creek Hospital to receive treatment.
Reports from Battle Creek police stated that firefighters found Hurt with injuries inconsistent with the ones caused by a fire. Detectives suggested that Hurt died due to alleged domestic violence.
Several hours later, the officials identified Cody as Randall’s son and the person of interest responsible for his father’s death. Reports stated that he was taken to the Battle Creek Police Department and confessed to killing his father after he hit him with an object. The authorities later took Cody to the Calhoun County Jail.
A day after the incident, officials’ reports stated that a bloody machete was found wrapped in a sweatshirt in the yard of the crime scene. Detectives also found blood-stained clothes and shoes on the roof.
Calhoun County Magistrate David Heiss denied bond in his case. Heiss said that Cody had several felony convictions in Calhoun County before killing his father. These include possessing methamphetamine in 2014 and unlawful driving of a motor vehicle in 2016. He also had 18 prior convictions of misdemeanors between 2008 and 2016, including larceny in a building in Eaton County. Cody was released from parole in April 2021.
On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Cody with open murder. He pleaded not guilty in Calhoun County District Courtroom.