7-year-old’s death in Fresno house fire now considered homicide by arson, police say
Here’s the latest on this story: ‘Very deliberate act.’ Fresno police say fire that killed boy was set at front and back doors
Original story below
An early morning fire Wednesday killed a 7-year-old in a central Fresno home in what authorities are calling a homicide by arson.
Fresno Fire Department responded before 5 a.m. to the fire near College and McKenzie avenues to find the home burning, Battalion Chief Devin McGuire said.
There were six people in the home when the fire started, he said. The child died inside the home.
The Fresno County Coroner’s Office identified the boy as Isaac Vallejo, 7, of Fresno.
In an announcement about 1:30 p.m., police said the fire was considered an arson. The boy’s death was being investigated as a homicide, the statement said.
The other five occupants were three adults and two teens, a battalion chief said. One of the teens was injured while jumping from a second-story window in the house, he said.
McGuire said the home is a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation and he expected crews to be on scene most of the day.
Battalion Chief Brian Price said the department has responded to six fatal house fires so far this year. There were four fatalities in house fires by this time last year, and 11 total for 2021, according to a department spokesperson.
This story was originally published July 6, 2022 at 6:47 AM.
