Man Set On Fire Inside Northwest Detroit Home: 'Body Almost Burned Through Floor'
DETROIT (WWJ) - Crews were called to a fire at a northwest Detroit home and arrived to find that a man had literally been set on fire. Now, police are searching for a killer.
Detroit Battalion Chief Randy Gibson said the call came in early Wednesday morning about smoke coming from a home on Archdale Street, near 7 Mile Road and the Southfield Freeway.
"Crews kicked in the door and they noticed a body in the door and that was actually on fire, his body, " Gibson told WWJ's Laura Bonnell.
Gibson said there's no doubt the victim was intentionally set on fire.
"He had some accelerants on him because that's the only thing that was on fire, it was just him and he almost burned through the floor," he said.
A cause of death is not yet clear but one thing is -- investigators have a homicide on their hands.
"It was definitely foul play," said Gibson. "It didn't look too good at all. It looked like he might have a gunshot wound to the head."
Detroit fire and police investigators have taped off an area surrounding the home. The scene remains active.
The victim has not yet been identified but neighbors indicate he was a landlord at the home.
A man who lives across the street, who did not want to be named, said the incident has left him looking over his shoulder.
"Of course I'm worried," he said. "We just woke up early in the morning on our way to work and for all this to be going down, yeah I'm worried. This is a good block so we're not used to nothing like this."
An investigation is ongoing.
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for the latest.
