Woman found slain inside abandoned vehicle in Birmingham field identified

Woman found slain inside abandoned vehicle in Birmingham field identified

Authorities have released the name of a woman found slain inside an abandoned vehicle in east Birmingham.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Ariel Jones, 31, of Birmingham.

Officers responded to a field in the 8400 block of Fifth Avenue North in East Lake shortly before 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. A citizen called 911 to report the abandoned vehicle.

When officers and Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service arrived, they discovered the body of a female inside.

Authorities said it appeared someone unsuccessfully tried to set a fire at the scene.

A body was discovered inside an abandoned vehicle Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in the 8400 block of Fifth Avenue North. (Carol Robinson)

Neighbors said the vehicle had been in the field for at least two days. The field is just off an alley between Fourth and Fifth Avenues.

Jones is the city’s 34th homicide in 2023, and the third to take place since Monday.

Of the city’s homicides this year, one was an officer-involved shooting by an outside agency and three others have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren’t deemed criminal.

In all of Jefferson County, there have been 46 homicides including the 34 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.