CAIRO — Authorities suspect that an arsonist set fire to a vehicle sometime Tuesday night, possibly to cover up for another crime.

Investigator Daniel Singletary with the Grady County Sheriff’s Office said the vehicle, found “burnt beyond all recognition” Wednesday, may have been used in the commission of a crime or perhaps was simply stolen and used for a joy ride before being abandoned. Either way, investigators don’t believe the vehicle was set ablaze by its lawful owner.

“It was just left there and nobody reported it,” Singletary said. “I mean, why would anybody do that?”

The sheriff’s office responded to a call of a burning car near the 800 block of Sammie Bulloch Road off Pope’s Store Road, not far from the Thomas County line, at around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday.

When deputies arrived, they found the torched vehicle barely smoking. The blaze was so low that investigators didn’t feel the need to contact the fire department. Investigators believe that the fire likely began sometime the night before.

The vehicle’s VIN and license plate were scorched beyond recognition, and the interior was completely burned away.

“It was nothing but a shell,” Singletary said.

Investigators identified the vehicle as a Toyota Camry, likely a newer model with a sunroof. The vehicle is believed to have been stolen from another area as it does not match the description of any stolen vehicles in Grady County.

Authorities believe that the color of the vehicle was either silver or white based off a piece of plastic located at the crime scene.

The sheriff’s office is attempting to salvage the VIN from the vehicle’s frame.