Shot in the head and set ablaze

Whittier area police are seeking information in three homicides that occurred over the weekend. One, which occurred in Montebello, was discovered after firefighters were called to a blaze in the 900 block of Lincoln Avenue.

When they arrived authorities discovered a man's body burning. Here's the top of our stories on the various incidents:

Authorities are asking for the public's help on separate shootings in Montebello, Norwalk and Santa Fe Springs that left three men dead.

The Norwalk fatality was identified today as Hugo Gutierrez of Norwalk. Coroner's officials didn't release the names of the two other victims because their relatives haven't been identified.

The first victim was found 4:30 a.m., Sunday by Montebello firefighters and police officers who responded to a possible fire in the 900 block of Lincoln Avenue, near the Whittier Narrows Dam.

"A passerby drove by, saw what they thought was a brush fire so they called 9-1-1. They had no idea what it was," said Montebello Sgt. Luis Lopez.

It turned out to be the body of a man who had been shot in the head and set ablaze.

Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations for the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner said the victim was a 37-year-old Latino and the autopsy will be done today.

The second fatality was in front of an apartment complex in the 12700 block of Pioneer Boulevard in Norwalk. Deputies got a call of shots being fired in the area about 9:30 p.m., Sunday and discovered a man shot several times.

The victim was originally reported to be a teen.

Sheriff's Homicide Detective Lt. Dave Dolson said Hugo Gutierrez was 26. He said Gutierrez didn't live at the apartment but was a Norwalk resident.