A burning body was found off the side of a dirt road in the Cibola National Forest southeast of Tijeras on Friday morning, according to a spokeswoman for the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.
Deputy Felicia Romero said at about 6:45 a.m. a caller reported finding a “possible deceased person on fire” off the road near Juan Thomas and Atkins Avenue.
Homicide detectives responded to the scene and are investigating the death, she said.
The heavily-wooded area near Cedro Peak is sparsely populated, and snow and rain fell into the afternoon. Detectives and deputies could be seen parked on the muddy stretch of road to block traffic while they combed through the surrounding forest.
Few details were available about the investigation Friday, and Romero said she did not know if the body was male or female or how the person died.
“Due to the condition of the decedent's body, we have limited information on the identification of the person,” she said.
She said no suspects have been identified as of Friday evening.
By 3 p.m. the only sign that pointed to the investigation into the death was a scorched mark, ash and charred pieces of wood in a clearing about 75 yards from the road.
