Madera man found dead in vehicle after it caught fire
A man was found dead in a car in Madera after it caught fire and became engulfed in flames early Tuesday.
The Madera Police Department identified the victim as Luis Echevarria, 33, from Madera.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the car fire around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday on the 600 block of Liberty Lane.
After the fire was extinguished, police said Echevarria was found dead in the driver’s seat of the 2002 BMW.
Sgt. Mark Trukki said surveillance video showed smoke first coming from the engine department before fire engulfed the car’s cabin.
Arson investigators think the fire appears to be accidental at this time, Trukki said.
Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Detectives learned Echevarria was last seen Monday night by a friend around 10:30 p.m. while drinking, Trukki said.
Trukki said if Echevarria was later asleep in his car, it’s possible that he could have succumbed to smoke inhalation before the car burst into flames, preventing him from exiting the BMW.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Sauceda at 559-675-4244.
This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 12:17 PM.
