Mystery Surrounds Burned Body At Auburn Park: 'We're Relying On Dental Records'

AUBURN (CBS13) — A man's body was found burned near the trailhead of a popular park in Auburn.

Rangers blocked the entrance during what is normally a busy time of day at Hidden Falls Regional Park after the grisly discovery.

A park employee who opened the gates on Tuesday morning discovered charred remains in the recreation area's parking lot.

"We arrived, determined the person was a male, had been burned, severely burned and deceased," said Placer County Sheriff's Sgt. Nelson Resendes.

But that's as much as the sheriff's department would share. A car found outside the gates may be connected to the case, but Resendes says that's still unclear.

Because of the state of the remains, an identity and cause of death will take time.

"We're relying on dental records," he said. "We're relying on other evidence that may have been recovered from the scene, we have a car that was nearby that we have impounded."

Investigators say they're also limited by how remote the park is, despite its popularity.

"It is remote which kind of limits us as far any surveillance or any witnesses that may have seen anything either yesterday or overnight," he said.