Christopher Dorner, the fugitive ex-cop that's believed to have died in a standoff with police on Tuesday, was apparently hiding in a snow-covered cabin in the California mountains just yards away from a police command post and press conference related to the five-day manhunt.

The charred remains of a body believed to be that of Dorner were taken from another cabin in the San Bernadino Mountains close to Big Bear, Calif., the site of the ex-police officer's last standoff.

While Dorner was cornered inside the mountain cabin, he continuously fired at cops, killing one deputy and injuring another in the process, before the building went down in flames.

Police are currently in the midst of identifying the body believed to be that of the fugitive, but do "have reason to believe that it is him," San Bernadino County sheriff's spokeswoman Cynthia Bachman told ABC News.

The search for Dorner, 33, turned out to be one of the largest ones in recent history, leading police to pursue clues across the west and into Mexico, but it ended only a few miles from where Dorner's trail stopped last week.

Residents in the area were extremely relieved to hear the news of his demise on Wednesday..

"I'm glad no one else can get hurt and they caught him. I'm happy they caught the bad guy," said Ashley King, a waitress in the close by town of Angelus Oaks, Calif.

Hundreds of cops were combing the mountains of Big Bear, a resort location in Southern California, using bloodhounds and thermal imaging technology in order to track down Dorner

The ex-policeman and Navy marksman reportedly murdered a cop and cop's daughter. He also put out a 'manifesto' declaring revenge against the LAPD and vowed to kill dozens of cops and their family members in order to get it.

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