Burned body found under bridge near Milton-Freewater homeless camp

A badly burned body was found under a bridge Monday morning in an area frequented by transients, officials said.

Umatilla County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters from Milton-Freewater Rural Fire District were called about 1:35 a.m. about a fire under the Eastside Road Bridge over the Walla Walla River.

The body was found after the blaze was extinguished. Undersheriff Jim Littlefield said they could not determine the person’s gender or race.

The area is known to be an encampment site for homeless people, said Littlefield.

KVEW-TV was reporting later that friends and family said the remains are those of Marcos Gutierrez, 29, of Milton-Freewater.

Friends told the station that a missing person’s report was filed after he went out with friends Saturday and never returned home.

This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Burned body found under bridge near Milton-Freewater homeless camp."