Seal Beach police interview, release homeless man in fatal arson investigation

Seal Beach police have interviewed a person of interest in an ongoing investigation of a fatal two-alarm blaze in Seal Beach that killed a man and dog in late April.

Detectives found Eric Jesus Andrade, a homeless man, in Long Beach, said Sgt. Michael Henderson, a Seal Beach police spokesman, in an email. Andrade, however, was not detained following the interview.

John Doelly, 67, and his pet dog were found dead inside their apartment after firefighters extinguished the fire around 12:15 a.m. April 30, police said. Seal Beach police, Orange County Fire Authority, Huntington Beach Fire Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the fire in the 200 block of 17th Street.

Investigators determined the fire was suspicious in nature.

Andrade, a homeless man known to hang around Andrade’s home, was identified as a person of interest May 4.

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