Miami-Dade County

Burned body found behind strip mall in Sweetwater


The scene at a strip mall in Sweetwater is shown Saturday night, Oct. 11, 2014, where a body was found ablaze.
The scene at a strip mall in Sweetwater is shown Saturday night, Oct. 11, 2014, where a body was found ablaze. MIAMI HERALD STAFF

A body was found ablaze Saturday night behind a strip mall on Flagler Street and 114th Avenue.

When Sweetwater police responded to a call of a fire shortly after 9 p.m., they found an object — engulfed in smoke and flames — on the ground.

“When we put out the fire, we realized it was a body,” said Sweetwater Capt. Jorge Fernandez de Lara. “It burned to a charred crisp.”

Miami-Dade homicide detectives arrived to take over the investigation.

There was no fire damage to the building, De Lara said.

Sweetwater Mayor Jose M. Diaz, who was on the scene Saturday night, called the discovery of the body “very sad.”

“We are waiting for the county to conduct a proper investigation,” Diaz said.

El Nuevo Herald reporter Brenda Medina contributed to this report.

This story was originally published October 11, 2014 at 11:09 PM with the headline "Burned body found behind strip mall in Sweetwater."

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