Investigation into Manitoba St. fire now a homicide: Police
Investigators discuss a house fire that left one person dead on Manitoba Street early Monday morning (Sept. 16).
A police investigator at the scene of a house fire that left one person dead on Manitoba Street early Monday morning (Sept. 16).
Police are treating a fatal East London house fire as suspicious.
Emergency crews responded to the fire at 361 Manitoba St. at about 3:30 a.m. Monday (Sept. 16).
When they arrived, the building was engulfed in flames. Once it was extinguished, a body was discovered inside.
Police haven’t released the identity of the deceased, but neighbours described him as a quiet man in his 50s who kept to himself.
Members of the Piper family, who live across the street, said he had been renting there about five or six months.
“The lady who lived there had just moved to a nursing home, but the family wanted someone there to look after the building while they decided what to do with it,” one neighbour said. “He had a grease fire there about three months ago.”
They said the man was a friend of her son’s.
“I could see the flames coming from the back of the house, behind the tree,” another neighbour added. “Like you couldn’t tell if it was flames or a flashing light.”
Vic Tesa, who also lives across the street, said a number of employees of the landscaping business the man ran (there were landscaping vehicles in the driveway on Monday morning) showed up for work and took the news pretty hard. “I have a hard time thinking it’s arson,” he said. “He was such a low-key guy, quiet and not intimidating.”
Audrey Vasseur has lived two doors down at 369 Manitoba St. for about 35 years. She said her son was out walking his dog, Trouble, shortly before 3:30 a.m. when he saw smoke coming from the house, so he ran in, woke her up and called 911.
“I had seen him but I didn’t know him,” she said of the deceased man. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Police are still on scene investigating. The Office of the Fire Marshal and the coroner have been notified.
Damage to the house is estimated at $100,000.
Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call the London Police Service at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent in online anonymously to www.londoncrimestoppers.com.
(Update 3:55 p.m.): London police are now treating the investigation into a fatal East London house fire as a homicide and have made an arrest.
According to the London Police Service (LPS) one male London resident has been arrested in connection with the death of a man found inside 361 Manitoba St. early Monday morning (Sept. 16).
The man was found after a house fire at the address, called in to 911 at about 3:30 a.m., was extinguished.
No charges have been laid. Police have reason to believe the man arrested and the male victim of the fire are known to each other.
A post-mortem is scheduled for Tuesday (Sept. 17) at 9 a.m.
via Craig Gilbert, London Community News
