Woman Found in Trunk of Burning Car in Inglewood

Inglewood firefighters were shocked to discover a badly burned woman crammed in the trunk of a car that was set on fire early Wednesday in front of an Inglewood elementary school.

“It was a very horrible, devastating scene,” said firefighter paramedic Anthony Woods.

The unconscious woman, who was estimated to be in her mid-20s to early 30s, had been shot five times in the chest, was barely breathing and had third-degree burns over 75% of her body, said Inglewood Police Lt. Hampton Cantrell.

She was taken to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition and scheduled to be transferred to a burn center. Police officials said she is not expected to live.

By late Wednesday, police had not identified the woman, who is believed to be of Korean descent and from Walla Walla, Wash.

Investigators have no suspects and have no motive for the shooting. It is not believed to be gang-related, authorities said. They are checking leads at the Hollywood Park Casino, a card club.

Firefighters were summoned at 6:50 a.m. to the 500 block of Osage Avenue, just blocks from the Forum.

The street is filled with modest stucco homes and apartments located near William H. Kelso Elementary School and Debbie’s Child Care Development.

“This is really a shocker,” said Chris Spriggs, 31, who lives across the street from where the car was found. “This is a very quiet neighborhood. It’s a very tight-knit neighborhood. I moved here six months ago . . . so my children could go to that school.”

“It’s too weird,” said Tony Evans, 38, who has lived on the block for three years. A poker dealer at the casino, he returned home at 5 a.m. after work and didn’t notice anything unusual.

Elementary school students arriving for class were greeted by a burned-out 1994 Chrysler LeBaron convertible parked in front of the school. One 10-year-old student said school authorities asked children not to talk about the incident because it had nothing to do with the school. School officials were not available for comment.

Five firefighters responded to the early morning blaze. After quickly extinguishing the fire, they checked under the hood. Then, through a hole near the back of the car, they peeked into the trunk and saw a foot. Using crowbars, they pried open the trunk and were stunned to find the unconscious woman.

“I’m retiring on Dec. 30 after more than 30 years with the Inglewood Fire Department, and in the last month we’ve had some pretty horrific cases,” said Capt. Douglas Potts, one of the firefighters who responded to the call. “This was one of them.”

He attended the funeral Monday of a 7-year-old boy who was shot in the head at Inglewood’s Darby Park shortly after his mother registered him for basketball.