Pregnant woman found dead, set on fire in Fresno alleyway, police say

FRESNO, Calif. — A pregnant woman was found dead in Fresno, and police say she was set on fire before being discovered in an alleyway.

Her body was found next to an apartment complex on Cornelia Street and Parkway Drive at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Maintenance workers in the area saw the flames and used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.

Police have yet to identify the woman but say there’s evidence of someone using an accelerant to set her on fire. Investigators also saw evidence of injuries from a different attack on her body.

Arson investigators and the Fresno Police Department’s homicide team do not know if she was already dead when the fire started. They’re working together to answer those critical questions.

“This is a very tragic situation for us,” says said Lt. Paul Cervantes. “We understand the gravity of this call, and homicide investigators are going to be working relentlessly over the next 24-48 hours to find out who’s responsible for this particular murder.”

An autopsy is expected to be completed later in the week.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to call Fresno police or leave an anonymous tip with Valley Crimestoppers at 498-STOP.