(This story has been updated with additional information.)
Authorities rushed a badly injured man to a hospital and launched an investigation after the victim was found engulfed in flames at a Victorville shopping center on Monday evening.
The incident was first reported about 7:30 p.m. March 30 at a shopping center at the corner of Bear Valley and Amargosa roads, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials and Victorville Fire Department logs.
A person driving by spotted the victim “on fire and screaming,” sheriff’s department spokeswoman Gloria Orejel said.
Additional witnesses also reported seeing the man “fully engulfed in flames,” sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
The severely burned victim, a 35-year-old man from Hesperia, was flown by helicopter to a trauma center for treatment, she said. An update on his condition was not available.
The investigation was ongoing, with assistance from the Sheriff’s Arson/Bomb Detail, but no crime was initially suspected.
“Deputies located items consistent with combustible materials and a preliminary determination suggest the fire was accidental,” according to the statement. Authorities did not specify the type of flammable materials that were found.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department is also conducting its own investigation into the fire, officials said.
Investigators from the Department’s Arson/Bomb Detail responded to assist with the investigation. A San Bernardino County Arson Investigator conducted a parallel investigation.
No further details were released.
Anyone with information can reach the Victorville Police Department at (760) 241-2911. Information may also be provided anonymously to the WeTip hotline at (844) 909-3096.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Man found ‘fully engulfed’ in flames at Victorville shopping center
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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