A body found in unusual circumstances in the remote Lockwood Valley area of Ventura County Thursday afternoon has triggered a suspicious death investigation, authorities said.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is flying in detectives from the major crimes unit by helicopter, said Capt. Dean Worthy. As of 3:50 p.m., detectives had not yet reached the remote site, located off Highway 33 north of Lockwood Valley Road.

The incident initially came to the attention of authorities after a man walking along the riverbed saw a charred, abandoned SUV with what appeared to be someone dead inside it, Worthy said. The SUV, which is reportedly burned beyond recognition, is situated upright in a creek with running water.

California Highway Patrol officers from the Ventura-area office were called to the scene and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office responded. Authorities determined the site was in Ventura County, and the local agency was contacted around 12:45 p.m., Worthy said.

The scenario is being treated as “highly suspicious,” Worthy said.

“We have not ruled out the possibility of homicide at this point,” he said.

The site is difficult to access with steep terrain. Helicopters are also flying in volunteers from the sheriff’s Search and Rescue team to facilitate retrieving the body, Worthy said.

While there could be other explanations for the incident, including a traffic accident, the death is being actively investigated as suspicious.

“The sheer fact that we found a car burned beyond recognition in a riverbed with a deceased individual inside is highly suspicious,” Worthy said.

This story will be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Body found in remote Lockwood Valley considered suspicious death