Bodies found burned inside mobile home

RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, NM (KRQE) - Neighbors say two men were found dead and badly burned in a mobile home North of Espanola Friday. Investigators have been on scene for almost two full days.

They are trying to figure out if this was an accident or crime.

The mobile home near the community of Medanales, just of Highway 84 is nothing more than a skeleton now. As neighbors describe what happened.

"I heard the sires, looked outside and saw thick smoke! Just a pile of smoke coming out," said neighbor Ben Maestas who lives nearby the scene.

Authorities aren't releasing much information about what may have happened. The NM State Police Mobile Crime Lab was on scene all day Saturday, so were crews with the State Fire Marshall's Office.

Investigators carried shovels, snapped pictures and laid out evidence markers as they searched for clues as to how the men died and how the fire started.

The fire broke out around 1 a.m. Friday. Four hours later, once the flames were extinguished, arson investigators were called in to take a closer look. That is when they found two badly burned bodies.

Neighbors say it's very suspicious.

"How could they not have escaped?" said Maestas. "It's pretty weird, strange, but things happen. The unfortunate thing is it's the holiday season. I guess evil strikes at any moment."

Possibly because they were so badly burned, the victims have yet to be identified. It's unclear if they might be the owners of the home, or if foul play was involved.