SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police are asking for the public's help in identifying a body burned beyond recognition in a suspicious fire on the city's South Side last month.
Police released a description of the woman, who was found by firefighters Jan. 22 after they put out a detached-garage fire at a vacant property in the 300 block of West Harding Boulevard. Police also released a photo of what remained of her lower back tattoo.
Investigators believe the woman was between 18 and 30 years old, had brown hair, breast implants and may have been wearing plaid clothing.
The picture released by police shows a roughly 4 1/2-inch-wide portion of the tattoo surrounded by charred skin. The top part of the tattoo looks to be a tribal design or maybe lettering, said Mike Chagolla, owner of Firme Copia Tattoo Studio.
Chagolla said the bottom portion of the tattoo, "almost looks like a tiger's kind of slashing out of the skin. And that's more like old-school tattoo flash that was used back in the 80s, early 90s."
The 13-year tattooing veteran said the quality of the tattoo didn't appear to be up to snuff for a tattoo shop.
"You can tell right away it's an older tattoo, probably a homemade tattoo," Chagolla said.
The tattoo could also be the key to identifying the victim and helping the case move forward.
"Then we can backtrack and figure out who the victim normally associates with, who may have seen the victim prior to the victim's death," SAPD spokesman, Officer Doug Greene, said.
Greene said even though investigators have "very little to go on" right now, they do have some information. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating leads from the breast implants.
A dark-colored pickup may have left the scene shortly before the fire broke out at 5 a.m., Greene said.
Greene said the evidence, so far, leads police to suspect the fire was set intentionally.
Investigators believe the woman was dead before the fire. But they don't know if she was killed at the scene or if she was killed somewhere else and her body was dumped there.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP (7867).
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case.
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