As the dark settled over Los Angeles last night, we awoke to an unfortunate number of deaths. Any number is sad -- especially four.

Vermont Knolls, Los Angeles: In an alley off of 73rd St. in South LA, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported a "vehicle fire in alley with apparent human remains" in a news alert. The LAPD is treating it as a homicide.

110 Freeway @ Manchester Ave: In another LAFD alert, there was a three vehicle crash causing two of two of the cars to set fire, killing two and injuring one.

Sun Valley, Los Angeles: This murder, which has been reported on all day by news outlets, took place in the northeast valley. "The body of a white woman shot to death was discovered on the dirt shoulder of La Tuna Canyon Road on Wednesday, Jan. 9, at about 1:30 a.m.," The LA Times Homicide Blog describes. "The body was aproximately [sic] a mile from the Foothill Freeway and appeared to be where the crime took place."

Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr