Watsonville mobile home fire being investigated as attempted murder
Victor Guzman
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) – Watsonville Police are investigating a mobile home fire this morning as attempted murder.
According to Watsonville Police, reports of the fire came in around 7:30 a.m. on the 20 block of Crespi Way. Officers were on site and rescued a man from the home and evacuated nearby neighbors.
Three other adults were inside the home, with two of them being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Watsonville Police detectives arrived to the home as there were indications that the fire may have been set intentionally.
Preliminary investigations show that the suspect, 65-year-old Duane Hawkins, arrived at the home and began the fire after an argument.
The suspect suffered moderate injuries and is undergoing treatment at a Bay Area trauma center. Hawkins is expected to face attempted murder and arson charges once released from treatment.
Santa Cruz County Fire Investigation Task Force is aiding in the investigation.
The identities of the other two victims are not being provided due to the sensitivity surrounding the investigation.
Home deemed uninhabitable after fire in Watsonville, three taken to hospital
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) – A home in Watsonville was deemed uninhabitable after a fire earlier this morning.
According to Watsonville Police, the fire broke out around 7:30 a.m. on the 20 block of Crespi Way at a mobile home. All Watsonville police units responded to the scene.
Three people, two men and one woman, were taken to the hospital. One of those victims was taken to a trauma center in the Bay Area.
Neighbors will be without power for several hours. According to PG&E’s Outage Map, it shows 127 customers are without power.
The house is now red-tagged.
This is a developing story. We will have more details as they become available.
Fire reported in Watsonville area as cameras show plume of smoke
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) — A plume of smoke could be seen in the middle of a neighborhood in the Watsonville area on Tuesday morning.
The Pulse Point app shows a report of a fire along 23 Crespi Way in the city, with UC San Diego’s Alert California Wildfire cameras appearing to show their camera pointed in that direction around 7:45 on Tuesday morning.
The smoke started as a black color but after 20 minutes has shifted to a light grey color.
It’s also unclear what specifically is burning at this time.
KION is reaching out to Watsonville Fire and Police to learn more about this apparent fire.
This is a developing story