A passerby was reported to have spotted something burning on the sidewalk in the 2600 block of North Windsor Avenue at around 6 in the morning, according to Los Angeles County Sherrif’s Department spokeswoman Deputy Lillian Peck.

Peck added that the passerby immediately called 911 upon realizing that what was burning was in fact a human body. Firefighters, deputies, and paramedics responded, pronouncing the man dead at the scene itself.

The road had been shut down by detectives for the next few hours to thoroughly examine the body as well as to search for any evidence that may shed light on the mysterious event. Authorities state that a red sedan which was parked next to the man’s body, is being investigated as well.

It is yet unclear if the body is somehow related to recent shootings in the area, where shots were fired at two Altadena homes just two and four blocks away.

The first shooting happened Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 5 a.m. in the 600 block of West Altadena Drive, while the next happened Friday at 9:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Ventura Street.

No injuries were reported in relation to the shootings, although the shots did penetrate occupied homes with sleeping residents.

Although the apartment in the 300 block of South Oak Knoll Ave. suffered $25,000 in structural damage, the owners were not home at the time the fire ignited and no injuries were suffered or lives lost.

“Thankfully we were able to save the dog and cat,” Derderian said.

The 11:58 p.m. blaze was reportedly caused by the ignition of a rug placed over a floor furnace outlet. Utilities and gas were shut off to the building, which affected three other units.

The residents arrived on scene a short time after the Fore Dept. arrived. Temporary shelter was offered and refused by the occupants, authorities say.

Pasadena police assisted with traffic control during the incident.

Perez’s law enforcement career with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) spans 27 years before his retirement with the rank of chief in 2009. As chief, he was responsible for CHP personnel in 13 counties, oversaw 1,100 employees and four communication centers, and served as the CHP liaison to numerous cities, counties, and community groups. He also worked as the CHP’s congressional liaison, commanded the CHP’s legislative unit, and served as the commander of the dignitary protection unit.

Most recently, Perez served as the director of security for the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, a position he held for more than a year.

He currently serves as an Operations/Security Disaster Assistance Manager for the Department of Homeland Security and is on-call for deployment nationwide natural disasters.

Perez holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Columbia College (Mo.) and is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy.