A disturbing discovery was made after Miami-Dade firefighters extinguished a car fire in a shopping plaza parking lot and found a body inside. 

It happened Monday evening in front of a Murphy's gas station, near a Walmart and Taco Bell, in the area of SW 136 Avenue and SW 288 Street. This is west of the Homestead Air Reserve Base.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said just before 7:30 p.m., deputies were sent to the lot to check out reports of a car on fire. 

When they arrived, deputies found a car with flames shooting out of it and tried to put it out themselves, however, they were unsuccessful. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived, extinguished the fire and that's when the body was discovered. 

People who saw the fire erupt said it happened in an instant. They said the flames consumed the car, leaving behind shattered glass and debris scattered across the lot.

Witnesses said there were desperate attempts to save the person trapped inside to no avail. 

"It's just crazy because you hear about something happening everyday but to happen so close to you, it's just crazy," Gabriela Larosa said. 

The sheriff's office said they are working to determine the gender and identity of the person. 

Tuesday morning, a fire extinguisher wrapped in crime scene tape still sat at the scene. 

Investigators with MDSO's homicide bureau are now leading the case, working to figure out what caused the fire and waiting on the Medical Examiner's Office to identify the victim.