Florida: ‘Burning mannequin’ in field turns out to be dead human body | US News
What appeared to be a burning mannequin in an open field turned out to be a deceased person.
Police responded to the 1100 block of Will Scarlett Avenue behind a residential area in Ruskin, Fla., just after 8 a.m. Saturday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
A 911 caller had reported driving past what appeared to be a mannequin on fire.
County rescue workers responded to the scene and deleted the celebrity, noting at the time that it was not a mannequin but a dead person.
“This is a harrowing scene,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
“At this point our MPs are doing everything they can to determine what happened to this person.”
The victim suffered upper body trauma and could not be immediately identified due to the severity of the burns, according to the sheriff’s office.
The incident is being investigated as a homicide by the sheriff’s office.
No information on a possible suspect was released.
“We believe this is an isolated case,” Chronister said, “and we will continue to work tirelessly until we find out how this horrific crime happened.”
Ruskin is an unincorporated census-designated location about 20 miles south of Tampa.
The incident ended much more tragically than another scene in March near Swayfield in Lincolnshire, UK. A concerned train passenger raised the alarm after seeing what appeared to be a dead body or a very ill person in a field.
“Several officers, including a drone pilot from Boston, rushed to fields in the area to conduct a search,” a Lincolnshire Police spokesman said.
“However, it was one of our best, a real-life special constable who slept the tragic scarecrow at work.
“Upright and with a few bird control tips and some good advice, he was allowed to get back to work.”
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