by Kristen Ku

SAN ANTONIO VILLAGE, Cayo District, Mon. June 12, 2023

A woman was found burned to death inside a vehicle in San Antonio, Cayo. The victim has been identified as 28-year-old Irene Nathalie Gonzalez.

The grim discovery was made after police responded to reports of a vehicle fire late Sunday night. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a Toyota 4Runner completely engulfed in flames. Gonzalez was found inside the vehicle in the driver’s seat after the fire was extinguished.

Prior to the tragic incident, Gonzalez’s family had reportedly received several disturbing messages from her phone, raising suspicions about the circumstances surrounding her death. According to family sources, Gonzalez was on suicide watch.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero provided details of the incident: “On Sunday, the 11th day of June 2023, police responded at 9:46 p.m. to a vehicle that was on fire on the Cristo Rey road in the Cayo District. Upon arrival, they saw a vehicle engulfed in flames. After the flames were extinguished and persons came out to help, the lifeless body of a female was found inside the vehicle. She was identified as Irene Gonzalez,” he reported to Amandala and other local media houses.

Romero further stated that the body was taken directly to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police investigations into the exact cause of the fire are ongoing. At this point, they are considering all possibilities, including a potential suicide motive, given Gonzalez’s alleged mental health history.

The local community is left in shock following the incident, as they mourn the loss of Gonzalez, now the third consecutive well-known resident of the twin-town community to tragically lose her life in less than a month.