Child, 2 Adults Die in Suspicious Fire

Montebello police said three people, including a child, died after a house fire tore through a home in the 100 block of South Fifth Street early Thursday. Officers and firefighters responded shortly after 4:30 a.m. to find the residence fully engulfed, according to police. A boy was found dead inside the home, while a man and a woman with severe burns were found outside and taken to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said. Police later said both adults died from their injuries and that investigators were treating the case as suspicious and domestic violence-related. ### Where did the fire happen, and when did crews arrive? The 100 block of South Fifth Street, just south of Whittier Boulevard in Montebello, was the location of the fire, Montebello police said. ABC7 reported officers and firefighters were dispatched shortly after 4:30 a.m. Thursday, and KTLA reported fire crews responded around the same time. (abc7.com) Police said the blaze engulfed a detached unit and forced nearby residents to evacuate. KTLA reported the fire also spread to a nearby electrical pole, blew a fuse and knocked out power in the area. ### Who were the victims? A boy was found dead inside the residence, police said. (abc7.com) A male adult and a female adult were found outside the home with severe burns and later died at a hospital, according to police statements carried by ABC7 and KTLA. The identities of the three dead had not been released as of Thursday because the coroner had not yet completed notifications, the reports said. (abc7.com) Chief Luis Lopez said the child appeared to be related to at least one of the adults, though police did not publicly describe the family relationship in more detail. ### Why are police calling it a domestic violence investigation? Chief Luis Lopez said at a news conference that investigators believed the case was tied to domestic violence. “At this time, we believe that the male involved in this case is the suspect,” Lopez said, according to ABC7. “This does appear to be a domestic violence related incident.” (abc7.com) KTLA reported Lopez said investigators were trying to determine what happened “hours, or even days” before the fire in order to identify a motive. Police also said there were no outstanding suspects and no danger to the community. ### What did neighbors see? Neighbor Alisson Gomez told ABC7 she saw a man and a woman burning outside the home as residents rushed out. (abc7.com) She said the woman was screaming for her son, according to the station. KTLA reported Gomez said she had spoken with the boy the day before and described the deaths as a shock to the neighborhood. (ktla.com) Lopez told KTLA the neighborhood was grieving and said the case would affect residents for a long time. ### What are investigators doing next? Homicide detectives and arson investigators were conducting a joint investigation, authorities said. (abc7.com) ABC7 reported officials were still working to determine the cause of the blaze, and KTLA said investigators would remain at the scene collecting evidence. (ktla.com) The next public steps are expected to come from the coroner’s identification process and any updates from Montebello police on the fire’s cause and the domestic violence investigation. As of Friday, police had not publicly named the dead. (abc7.com)