Man arrested on suspicion of homicide in connection with deadly fire in Coachella
A 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of homicide in connection with a deadly brush fire in Coachella on Halloween.
The homicide dates back to Oct. 31 at around 12:15 a.m. Deputies were called out to a brush fire in the 51000 block of Cesar Chavez Street.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, when deputies arrived on scene, they found a woman with significant burns to her body. She was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where she died from her injuries a few hours later.
The woman was identified as Arlene Danielle Avila, 43, of Coachella.
During the investigation, authorities said it was determined that Avila was the victim of a homicide.
Investigators from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station identified the suspect as a 40-year-old Coachella man. He was arrested Thursday night on Grapefruit Boulevard and 1st Street. He remains in custody at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on $1 million bail.
The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 24, jail records show.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator Cline at (760) 393–3531 or Thermal Station Investigator Glasper at (760) 863–8990.
