Police ID man found in burning car

YOUNGSTOWN — Police have learned the identity of the dead man found in a burning car on the East Side overnight.

According to police reports, the man has been identified as Timothy Phillips, 47, of McGuffey Road. Phillips was found at 2:36 a.m. inside of a burning car in the driveway of his home in the 2700 block of McGuffey Road.

According to police, firefighters were called to the home to extinguish the fire and found the body of the man in the front driver’s seat of the car badly burned. Reports say Phillips’ left arm was in a defensive position as if trying to shield himself from something.

Police spoke with the owner of the 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix in which Phillips was found. The South Side woman told police that Phillips is her uncle and that the car was being driven by him.

Officers also spoke with the man who called 911 to report the fire. The man said he called police as he drove past the address and noticed the car on fire, but did not see anything else.

Police also spoke with a neighbor who said he did not hear anything unusual at the time the burning car was discovered.