Pregnant Woman Found Dead In California Alley After Being Set On Fire

The body of a "visibly pregnant" woman was found burning in a California alleyway Tuesday afternoon, police said.

A man driving by North Cornelia Avenue first noticed the blaze and when he went closer, he discovered a body. The unidentified man immediately dialed 911 and with the help of some maintenance workers in the neighborhood, he put out the blaze, Fresno Bee reported.

Shortly after, firefighters and emergency medical services arrived at the scene and pronounced the woman dead. She was a small Black woman in her 20s. Investigators also found the woman suffered injuries unrelated to the fire, according to ABC30.

"We understand the gravity of every homicide investigation, but this particular one strikes a very deep chord," said Lt. Paul Cervantes, from the Fresno Police Department. "We will work day and night until we solve it."

The identity of the woman was not revealed. It wasn't clear if she was set on fire while she was still alive. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.

All roads surrounding the area were closed. There was a heavy police presence near the alley. Officers also urged people to stay away from the crime scene as detectives collected evidence.

Investigators said the crime scene will be expanded from the alley to nearby streets. They were also probing if the victim lived in a nearby apartment complex or if she was homeless.

"This is a tough one," Cervantes added. "We have a timeline, and that is pretty much it."

People with any information related to the incident were asked to call the Fresno Police Department at (559) 621-7000.

This incident came to light days after the decomposing body of a pregnant woman was found in the house of a man arrested in connection with a shooting incident. The woman was eight months pregnant at the time of her death and was reportedly in a relationship with the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Torrey Moore. The accused admitted "there had been some type of fight between the two about one month prior that led to the victim becoming deceased prior to today."