Police probe car fire
that killed N.Y. man

Philadelphia police detectives, along with the offices of the city fire marshal and medical examiner, continued their investigation Tuesday of a car fire on a Crescentville street early Saturday that claimed the life of a New York man found inside the vehicle.
Emergency responders went to the 5700 block of Tabor Road at 5:40 a.m. and discovered the burning 1996 Isuzu Rodeo, police and fire officials said. As firefighters doused the flames, they discovered the burned body of a man inside the vehicle. Fire medics pronounced him dead at the scene at 5:55 a.m.
The body was taken to the medical examiner’s office. He was identified as Benjamin Alouidor, 59, of Brooklyn, N.Y. According to Jeff Moran, a spokesman for the medical examiner, Alouidor died of sooted smoke inhalation and thermal burns. The manner of death – such as accidental, homicide or suicide — remains undetermined.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, no signs of physical trauma were found on the victim during a post-mortem examination.
The car belonged to another person, the police spokeswoman said.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation by the fire marshal on Tuesday. ••