A 911 caller reported Saturday what appeared to be a mannequin on fire in an open field behind a Ruskin neighborhood.
But once Hillsborough County Fire Rescue firefighters extinguished the flames, they determined the figure found in the 1100 block of Will Scarlett Avenue was human, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim had trauma to the upper body, but due to the severity of the burns, officers have not been able to identify the body, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The Sheriff’s Office has opened a homicide investigation.
“This is a disturbing scene,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement included in the release. “At this time, our deputies are doing everything they can to determine what happened to this individual. We believe this is an isolated incident and will continue to work tirelessly until we determine how this horrific crime occurred.”
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