LA police are searching for clues in the death of a man whose body was discovered in a car damaged by fire in Westchester. Detectives think the burnt out Cadillac was involved in two car crashes before it exploded into flames. Michelle Valles reports from Westchester for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Feb. 22, 2013.
The burning body of a man found inside a parked car that was aflame in Westchester early Friday has been identified by family members.
Brian Kelsey, 46, was killed when the 1992 Cadillac in which he was a passenger went up in a blaze, according to a man who calls himself Kelsey's son.
The incident happened at 4:30 a.m. in the 5400 block of 99th Street (map), about two blocks east of Los Angeles International Airport.
Police said it was not known who was driving the car and they were searching for more information.
Kelsey had told the family he was going out with a friend at about 10 p.m. Thursday, according to Marcus Mergerson, who said Kelsey had been like an adopted father to him.
"somebody, I don't know, somebody who doesn't have a heart or mind I assume," Mergerson said the driver. "They are sick. Why would they do that? May God have mercy on their soul."
Witnesses said they saw the driver leave the scene running.
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Police investigators told NBC4 that the car, which belonged to Kelsey, had been involved in another collision earlier that night.
"We believe that it's possibly related to a traffic collision," Los Angeles police Lt. John Radtke said Friday morning. "It appears to be a hit and run. There's a parked vehicle that was hit down the street."
Radtke said there may have been a mechanical failure. Police were working with anyone associated with the car, possibly the driver.
Radtke said the victim was found in the center of the car.
Mergerson described Kelsey as a father who raised him since he was 11 months old. Kelsey was a family man who worked in cargo at LAX, Mergerson said.
His body was badly burned, but Mergerson said family members could tell it was Kelsey because of his khaki pants and Timberland boots.
