NEW ORLEANS -- One man knocked out another before setting his body on fire behind an abandoned Gentilly grocery store Friday morning, police sources said.
Witnesses flagged down a police officer about 11:30 a.m. and directed him to the closed Winn-Dixie in the 4600 block of Chef Menteur Highway. Once the officer arrived, he found the unidentified victim’s body burning near an abandoned loading dock.
Witnesses to the burning body on Chef seen on camera with a fire extinguisher to put the fire out @WWLTV pic.twitter.com/slsRJTvm4F
Surveillance video showed bystanders rush to try to help the victim.
One man who carried a fire extinguisher sprinted from a nearby gas station to try to put out the flames. Firefighters said they also used handheld fire extinguishers to put out the fire that engulfed the man.
Authorities said the man’s upper body was burned to his skeleton. They said the man was dead by the time they arrived on the scene.
Witnesses said the victim and whoever killed him were both homeless. The witnesses said the unidentified assailant attacked the victim because he gave the assailant lice.
The man’s body continued to smolder as authorities began their investigation.
“I just cannot believe it happened just right here in broad view,” said Martha Temple, who lives nearby. “Just to see him still on fire burning is unbelievable.”
Sources the suspect is in police custody. Police did not immediately identify him Friday evening.
The NOPD, NOFD and State Fire Marshal's Office are investigating