UPDATE: The Clark County coroner has determined that the woman who was found deceased after a house fire was killed before the fire. The victim, identified as 54-year-old Carol Lopez of Las Vegas, died from blunt force trauma.
It is also not known how the woman was killed. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- Officials are investigating after a body was found in a house fire on 4151 Boston Avenue, near South Lamb Boulevard and East Wyoming Avenue.
Firefighters received reports of the fire around 3:30 a.m. Monday. They were able to put it out by 4 a.m.
During the search after the fire, officials found a deceased male inside the home.
When Michael Martinez and his friends saw the flames from the house fire, they rushed to help.
"There's a guy already here, he tried to break into the door, and I guess no one answered," Martinez said.
He says since they didn't hear anybody yelling for help, they backed off and waited for fire crews.
Neighbors believed the house was empty before the fire. They were unsure if any squatters were living in the home. The home's gas meter was locked, giving the appearance that it was unoccupied.
"Houses don't just burn by themselves," says Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Lt. Dan McGrath. "There's no power in the house so we can't say it's electrical."
The investigation of the fire is ongoing.
