By Amy Kraft and Wil Cruz
DNAinfo Staff
BROOKLYN — Firefighters responding to a fire in Brooklyn early Thursday discovered a man's body under the smouldering trash, police and FDNY officials said.
The unidentified man was found outside of 2171 Hendrickson St. in Marine Park at 3:43 a.m., fire officials said.
Janet Schnell, 63, who has lived in the neighborhood her entire life, said she noticed the flames from her home. She called 911 and tried to extinguish the fire herself.
"My sister and I threw buckets of water on it, and the Fire Department was there within five minutes," she said.
The fire was almost immediately extinguished.
The NYPD said it was investigating.
"I don't know who could have done something so terrible," Schnell added.
The area is known to attract homeless people, residents said.
Davinder Singh, 20, who has lived in the area since 2003, said the neighborhood is generally safe.
"It's a quiet neighborhood, and everybody is very friendly," he said. "It's shocking because there are lots of kids in the neighborhood."
