Body found could be suspected L.A. sniper (Beck A DEA Who Sued BATF? Murdered By BATF? HelpResearch)

Authorities said a man continued to fire at law enforcement officers during a blaze Friday at a Santa Clarita, California, house.

SANTA CLARITA, California (CNN) -- Investigators have found a body in the ruins of a suburban Los Angeles home that could be the remains of a man suspected of killing a sheriff's deputy and then setting his own house on fire.

Authorities said they believed the suspect -- 35-year-old James Beck -- died in the fire he set on Friday after federal agents tried to serve him with a search warrant.

"We have found the remains of an individual inside the residence," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Capt. Don Rodriguez said. But he added, "It will be some time before we can positively identify the individual we found inside the residence."

The deadly drama began when agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, along with Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, attempted to arrest Beck on Friday morning on charges of impersonating a law enforcement officer and firearms violations, ATF spokesman Donald Kincaid said.

VIDEO Los Angeles County Deputy Jake Kuredjian was shot while helping arrest James Beck, thought to be trapped inside his burning home (August 31)

"What we did was what we call a call and containment. We surrounded the area," Kincaid said. "We called the individual on the telephone and asked him to come out because we had information that he had a vicious dog, and some other information."

Beck's girlfriend did leave the house through the garage, but "he came to the door a couple of times and refused to come out," Kincaid said.

When agents tried to enter the house through a window, Beck allegedly opened fire on them with an automatic weapon, striking Deputy Jake Kuredjian, 40, a 17-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, in the face. He died later at a hospital.

"During the course of his effort to apprehend this suspect, Deputy Kuredjian was shot with what we believe is one shot, and therein fatally wounded," Sheriff Lee Baca said, his voice cracking.

"He always wanted to become a motor officer, and he became one several months ago," Deeley said. "He was probably one of the most personable people you'd ever meet in your life. I think Jake had hundreds, if not thousands, of friends

After Kuredjian was shot, Beck held police at bay for about three hours by firing on them from his home. At one point, authorities said, Beck fired shots at a fire department helicopter over the scene.

Negotiators had been in touch with him by telephone, trying to get him to peacefully surrender, before the fire swept through the home.

As the fire engulfed the structure, it was not immediately known if Beck was inside, but officials said they believed he was, and was alone.

Deputies and fire crews waited until the rubble of the home cooled off before entering the charred residence.

Deputies had lobbed a couple of tear gas canisters at the home shortly before the fire broke out, but the cause of the fire remains unknown.

"We don't know for sure, but we do know tear gas was introduced, and certainly that is a possibility, so we are considering that that started the fire," said Lt. Ray Peavy of the sheriff's Homicide Unit.

Sheriff's deputies initially would not allow firefighters to come near the house to douse the flames because of safety concerns.

After about 15 minutes firefighters moved a ladder truck into the driveway of a house on the street behind the burning home, and shot water from an unmanned water cannon atop the ladder. They were able to wet down the neighboring homes to keep the fire from spreading to them.

The house fire continued to burn out of control, destroying in turn the roof, the upper floor and, finally, the ground floor.

Earlier reports that an ATF agent was wounded turned out to be unfounded after ATF officials said they had accounted for all of their agents.

A law enforcement source tells CNN that Beck had previously been convicted on felony burglary and firearms violations, and that authorities executed the search warrant because they believed Beck, as an ex-convict, illegally possessed weapons in his residence.

The U.S. Marshals Service also would not comment, except to confirm that two of its deputies accompanied two ATF agents and two sheriff's deputies to the house Friday morning. The Marshals Service was interested in allegations that Beck impersonated a deputy marshal, and the ATF was investigating the possible firearms violations.

This was hot news earlier in the week but seems to have been forgotten about already. Does anyone have any updates? What happened to the girlfriend? Is she still in custody? Has anyone verified what they are saying about Beck?

I guess the Janet Reno torching and bulldozing routine is an effective method to shut this all up?

I haven't heard anything new. Its really scary that this can go away so quickly.
At this rate they could do this kind of raid two or three a week and nobody would notice. Is this how Hitler got his start?

What a great propaganda piece! Early on it says he started the fire in his own house, that he opened fire with an automatic weapon, he fired at the fire helicopter. The only thing they left out was the "weapon stockpiling" charge.

The deputy was pretty clever to get caught entering the house, taking a bullet in the head, then running down the street to die behind the SUV. Talk about a credibility problem.

Either Beck was an arbitrary target of opportunity, or they had to silence him. We'll have to sort this one out. I think the family and the girlfriend have the answers.

Did any hard info ever turn up on Beck?

Nothing other than there's another "james allen beck" in another state who also has an arrest record equally long.

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