From Andy Furillo and Niesha Lofing:
Police have determined that it was a woman whose body was found inside a burning SUV at a West Sacramento elementary school Saturday.
What caused the Ford Explorer to catch fire and caused the woman's death is not known. Firefighters found the car ablaze at 8 a.m. at Bridgeway Island Elementary School, located on Half Moon Bay Road.
An autopsy Monday determined that the remains were of a woman, according to a West Sacramento police news release.
Authorities have made a "tentative" identification, but are not releasing the information pending confirmation of dental records, police said. The family of the woman police believe to be the victim have been notified.
West Sacramento police detectives continue to work on the case today and are treating the death as being "suspicious, ranging from accidental to a homicide," police said.
Illegal drugs were found near the scene, but police have not determined whether they are connected to the victim.
Detectives are looking for potential witnesses, and anyone with information is asked to call police Detective Ed Hensley at (916) 617-4955 or Detective Eugene Semeryuk at (916) 617-4931.
The fiery death left at least one neighbor on edge this weekend.
"We would like to know it's not something that's going to happen on a regular basis," said Donnice Harrison, amid the uneasy quiet across Half Moon Bay Circle from the school. "We have to live here. We would like somebody to let us know the issue has been resolved."
The only thing the residents in the Southport neighborhood knew Sunday was that the SUV had out-of-state license plates.
Harrison said police found two Ziploc-type plastic bags on her front lawn that contained some kind of white substance. She said police thought it might have been drugs, and they brought their dogs to do some sniffing.
She said police gave no indication whether the bags had anything to do with the body.
A neighbor of Harrison's said he pulled into his driveway about 7 a.m. Saturday after getting off work. The neighbor, who asked that his name be withheld for fear of retaliation by any possible criminal suspects, said he saw the SUV in the school parking lot with its lights on and someone sitting inside when he got home. He said he didn't think anything of it.
"I came inside and was watching TV, then I felt the house shaking," the neighbor said. He said he ran outside and saw the car in flames. "It exploded," he said.
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