Body found in burned vehicle in Maple Ridge, homicide investigators called

Homicide investigators have been called after a body was found in a burned vehicle in Maple Ridge Thursday night.

Ridge Meadows RCMP said in a news release Friday that they were called to the 14300 block of 256th Street around 11:15 p.m. for "a report of a vehicle fully engulfed."

After the Maple Ridge Fire Department had extinguished the blaze, police searched the vehicle and located a body.

Police towed a vehicle covered by a tarp late Friday afternoon. Burn marks could be seen on the ground along the remote gravel road where the vehicle was found.

Police described the discovery as a "suspicious death."

"It is still in the early stages of the investigation and the Ridge Meadows RCMP will be working with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT)," Mounties said in their release.

"It is unknown at this time if this is related to the Lower Mainland gang conflict."

Earlier this week, two men were fatally gunned down in Coquitlam. Police have said one of the victims, Ramin Salam, was allegedly associated with gang members. RCMP said a third victim, who survived, appears to have gang ties as well. In the last update from RCMP, police were still working to identify the second man who died.

There has been a string of violent and alarming incidents in the Lower Mainland during the past week, including a violent armed robbery that led to a shootout with police in Port Coquitlam on Tuesday. There was also a recent series of shootings and a kidnapping in the Interior city of Merritt. 

The area where the vehicle fire occurred is near the north end of 256th Street, not far from the southern boundary of Golden Ears Provincial Park and about two kilometres south of Alouette Lake, according to Google Maps. 

Anyone who has dash cam video recorded in Maple Ridge between the hours of 10 p.m. and midnight should contact the IHIT information line at 877-551-4448, police said. Witnesses can also contact IHIT by email at [e-mail].