BOWIE, Md. (AP) — Police say a passenger set a taxicab on fire during a robbery attempt and died in the blaze.

Bowie Police Chief Chuck Nesky tells The Washington Post that the driver picked up the man at the Largo Metro station late Friday afternoon. He drove the passenger about 20 minutes to Bowie.

Nesky says once they arrived, the passenger demanded money from the driver, struck him in the head and threw liquid on him. The liquid caught fire, and the cab driver escaped.

Firefighters put out the blaze and found the passenger’s body in the back seat. The driver suffered minor burns.

Nesky says authorities haven’t determined what kind of liquid the man used. He calls the incident “pretty bizarre.” Prince George’s County police are now investigating.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)