In a horrific and gruesome scene, a man was recently burned to death inside a dumpster in Arizona’s largest homeless encampment.
The incident followed a series of violent crimes that took place this past week in the encampment, also known as “The Zone,” where around a thousand people live in tents on the streets.
It is believed that the man was beaten and burned to death in the dumpster by three other men.
Due to the burn injuries, police have not been able to identify the victim and were only able to confirm that he was male.
The incident occurred on March 11 near 11th Avenue and Madison Street, and was captured on surveillance footage, which was obtained by KSAZ-TV.
According to the outlet, two men were seen pushing a shopping cart that contained the victim. They then dumped him into the dumpster and a third man lit him on fire.
Two of the suspects have been arrested at this point.
They were identified as Isaiah Baskin, 18, and Larry Scott, 22.
@PhoenixPolice confirm two suspects arrested for body found burned in dumpster. One suspect Isaiah Baskin scene here as police take him into custody near crime location 12th Ave & Madison in the area known as the Zone #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/vdw3smpsre
— Rick Davis (@rdavisfox10) March 23, 2023
I know Larry D. Scott, 22, (left) and Isaiah M. Baskin, 18, were arrested in connection with a body that was found burned to death near downtown Phoenix earlier this week pic.twitter.com/D5JXXulDbN
— Disobeyish™ (@disobeyish) March 23, 2023
Baskin reportedly confessed the crime to police, alleging that Scott and the other suspect assaulted the victim, put him in trash bags, and then lifted the shopping cart and pushed the man into the dumpster, according to KSAZ.
Court documents revealed that Baskin aided the other two by “pushing the cart and assisting in lifting the cart to dump the victim,” KSAZ reported.
The victim is believed to have been alive when they lit him on fire, as Baskin described hearing the man moan from inside the dumpster. Baskin also said that the victim began making banging noises.
The Arizona Daily Independent reported that nearby homeless individuals also heard the victim but didn’t intervene due to fear of reprisal. It’s unclear what or who the reprisal would be in reference to, but the end result was the same — nobody was willing or wanting to help the victim.
The three men allegedly added wood to fuel the fire and stood by the dumpster for 15 to 20 minutes to watch the flames.
Baskin and Scott are now facing multiple charges, including first-degree murder.
Baskin is being held on a $1,000,000 cash bond while Scott has been denied bail because he’s on felony release.
Police were called to “The Zone” that night at 8:11 p.m. by a man who told officers he had been hit in the head by an unknown assailant, the Daily Independent reported.
The man told officers his female friend had been shot by the same person. That woman was taken to a hospital and died.
Phoenix City Council will meet tomorrow and will discuss the rise in the number of unsheltered individuals in the city.
The number has increased 53% from 2019 to 2022.
City council will consider a private property clean-up program pic.twitter.com/jMf102nv5q
— Nicole Grigg (@NicoleSGrigg) March 21, 2023
Crime in “The Zone” has gotten so bad that firefighters no longer enter the area without a police escort, sources told AZ Family.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
