Two Men Found Shot to Death in Rented SUV

Two men in a rented SUV were found dead early Monday morning in Studio City, shot several times in the chest and left in the burning vehicle.

Firefighters discovered the men’s bodies about 1:45 a.m. on the 11600 block of Woodbridge Street.

“It appears that the victims were killed at the scene and that the fire was set in order to hide the crime,” said Officer Eduardo Funes of the Los Angeles Police Department.

One of the victims was identified as Michael Tardio, 35, of Los Angeles. The name of the other victim, who was also in his 30s, was being withheld until police had informed his relatives. Neither victim had a criminal record, said LAPD Det. Mike Coffey, who was investigating the double murder.

The black Mercedes SUV, which one of the men had rented Saturday in West Hollywood, had no bullet holes in it, Coffey said. The men’s bodies were found in the front seats.

Looking at the crime scene on the quiet residential street, Coffey said investigators could not determine if the men had been robbed.

“We canvassed that whole neighborhood, and nobody had heard anything,” Coffey said.

It did not appear that the shooter or shooters had fired into the vehicle, and no weapons were recovered at the scene.