3 Discovered Dead in Temple City House Fire; Suspect Arrested for Murder

TEMPLE CITY, Calif., Oct. 27 (KNN) — A suspect was arrested for murder Monday after firefighters discovered three deceased individuals and two injured in a Temple City house fire early Sunday evening.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department and Arcadia Fire Department received multiple 911 calls regarding a structure fire in the 6000 Block of Sultana Avenue around 4:48 p.m.

Once firefighters arrived at the single-story home, heavy smoke and fire were showing at the front of the building, said LACoFD Public Information Officer Fred Fielding at the scene. He confirmed a total of two patients were transported to local hospitals with critical injuries, and three people were discovered deceased inside the house.

Fielding also said the identities of the deceased have not been determined, and it’s unclear if they were all related.

It is unknown how the fire started at this time. The Los Angeles County Fire Department had an arson investigation team on the scene assisting with determining the cause of the fire.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau responded to the scene for a death investigation.

In an LASD update on the incident shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, a male suspect is now in custody. The suspect was a person of interest when interviewed on Sunday. He was arrested and booked for murder and will be arraigned on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the Alhambra Courthouse. The suspect, identified by authorities as 64-year-old Xuanhan Zhang, is being held on a two-million-dollar bond.

The LASD also updated information regarding the victims. Investigators learned the three deceased were two male adult victims and one female adult victim not yet identified. The two surviving victims — 64 years old and 68 years old — are still hospitalized in critical but stable condition. They are unable to speak at this time and have not yet been interviewed by investigators.

Randy Dominguez, Video Journalist / KNN