Charred body found near scene of Mount Wilson fire
MOUNT WILSON, Calif. -- A charred body was discovered on Mount Wilson by a search and rescue team looking for a missing 18-year-old who may have been in the area around the time of the recent fire.
The burned body, which has yet to be identified, was found by a Montrose search team on the side of the road around 2:30 a.m. Thursday.
The Los Angeles County coroner was called to the scene.
Matthew Huerta's family members, who are from Sylmar, said Huerta left home Tuesday morning, presumably to go jogging.
His phone was tracked to the Mount Wilson area, and his car was also found there.
Family members said they found a letter in Huerta's room. His sister told Eyewitness News the letter indicated that Huerta was thinking of hurting himself.
If Huerta was in the location of Mount Wilson Tuesday morning, that was just about the time the fire sparked. The blaze prompted the evacuation of the Mount Wilson Observatory and burned throughout the day.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. However, investigators did call it suspicious.
At one point, more than 150 family and friends were ready to search for Huerta. However, they couldn't because of hot spots from the fire.
Investigators have not said whether the fire and Huerta's death are linked in any way.
VIDEO: AIR7 HD over fire near Mount Wilson Observatory
