Neighbors think they know burned victim

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Numerous questions remain unanswered surrounding a charred body found in an Albuquerque park, but neighbors think they know the victim.

The Office of the Medical Investigator began an autopsy today. Police say the body is so badly burned they’re unable to find any identifying marks. Dental records may be the only way to find an identity.

"We're going to definitely need the assistance of OMI," Albuquerque Police Department Officer Robert Gibbs said.  "They're the ones that of course are going to determine the identity and of course the sex of the victim."

The charred bike, food, blankets and religious books can still be found at the park. Police aren’t sure if the body was burned and then dropped at the park or not. For now police say they’re investigating, “a homicide until deemed otherwise.”

While police won’t announce any potential victims, neighbors believe the body could be that of a homeless man who occasionally lived at the park. One neighbor said she recently saw the homeless man get in a fight at the park.

Gibbs said it could be anywhere from a week to a month before the case is returned by OMI with the body is identified and the cause of death determined.