Suspicious House Fire Kills Three

Montebello police said three people, including a child, died after a fire ripped through a home in the 100 block of South Fifth Street early Thursday, prompting a homicide and arson investigation. The blaze was reported shortly after 4:30 a.m. on May 14, near Whittier Boulevard, according to police and local television reports. Two adults — a man and a woman — were found outside with severe burns and later died at a hospital, while a boy was found inside the residence, authorities said. Police Chief Luis Lopez said investigators believe the fire may have grown out of a domestic-violence incident and that the dead adult male is believed to be the suspect. ### Where did the fire happen, and what did first responders find? The fire broke out at a multi-unit property in Montebello, a city in southeastern Los Angeles County, at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday, authorities said. Montebello police and fire crews arrived to find a detached unit fully engulfed, with flames also affecting a nearby electrical pole, KTLA reported. (abc7.com) Officers encountered an adult man and an adult woman suffering from severe burns in front of the residence, police said. After firefighters put out the blaze, investigators found the body of a boy inside the home, according to police statements carried by ABC7 and KTLA. ### Why are police calling the case suspicious? (abc7.com) Luis Lopez, the Montebello police chief, said at a news conference that the case “does appear to be a domestic violence related incident.” ABC7 reported that Lopez said investigators believe the male involved is the suspect, while police also said there were no outstanding suspects and no broader danger to the community. (abc7.com) FOX 11 reported that investigators were examining reports of prior domestic violence and possible use of an accelerant, though authorities had not announced an official cause of the fire. The station also reported that police had not yet publicly identified the victims or fully confirmed the relationships among the three dead. ### What do authorities know about the victims? (abc7.com) KTLA reported that the child was a boy and that the two adults were a man and a woman. Police have not released their names, and Lopez said the child appeared to be related to at least one of the adults. ABC7 reported that the relationship among the three victims remained unclear as of Thursday afternoon. (foxla.com) FOX 11 said investigators were still trying to establish a motive and timeline and had not publicly detailed how the fire started. ### What did witnesses say they saw? Alisson Gomez, a neighbor interviewed by ABC7, said she saw “a man and a lady burning” after residents rushed outside. (ktla.com) Gomez said the woman was screaming for her son, and that neighbors later learned the child had died. KTLA quoted Gomez as saying she had spoken with the boy the day before and described his death as a shock to the neighborhood. (abc7.com) Lopez told the station the neighborhood was grieving and said investigators were trying to determine what happened in the hours or days before the fire. ### What happens next in the investigation? (abc7.com) Homicide and arson investigators remained at the property on Thursday collecting evidence, Lopez said. Police had also secured a second area near Seventh Street and Los Angeles Avenue after FOX 11 reported that the burned man ran nearly two blocks before collapsing near a vehicle. (ktla.com) The Los Angeles County coroner was expected to confirm the identities of the three dead before authorities release their names. Montebello police said the investigation was continuing and that more details would depend on evidence recovered at the scene and interviews establishing the sequence of events. (ktla.com)