LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One person is dead after a fire at a mobile home in east Las Vegas on Wednesday night, and Las Vegas police are investigating it as a homicide.
UPDATE: A suspect has since been arrested in this case. Read an updated report here.
The fire broke out at a home near Nellis Boulevard and Sahara Avenue at 4:19 p.m., Clark County fire officials reported. Fire crews arrived at the scene to find a double-wide mobile home engulfed in flames and "aggressively attacked the fire."
"Unfortunately, during the search, an individual was found deceased as well as three dogs," fire officials stated.
Fire investigators were working Wednesday night to determine the cause of the fire. Additionally, homicide detectives with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were called to the scene.
Police were still trying to determine what led up to the fatal fire. Patrol officers responded to the home earlier on Wednesday on a report of a domestic disturbance, said Lt. Ray Spencer with LVMPD's homicide section. Spencer described the issue as a property dispute.
Multiple people reside at the home. Several of the residents were contacted by detectives, but officers were still working to locate one resident who was known to be at the home earlier on Wednesday, Spencer said.
The Clark County coroner identified the person who died as 35-year-old Melynda Williams, who investigators tentatively believe was involved in the earlier domestic disturbance.
Efforts to put out the fire resulted in a lot of debris and water that will complicate the investigation for detectives, Spencer said.
Anyone with information that could aid the investigation is encouraged to contact LVMPD's homicide section or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.
Editor's note: A previous version of this report identified the deceased as Melynda Brown, based on information from the coroner's office. Family members who reached out to 13 Action News clarified that the victim preferred to use Williams as her surname.
