Woman found in apartment with burning mattress also had been stabbed, CA cops say
A woman injured in an apartment fire also had stab wounds, prompting a homicide investigation, California police say.
A 33-year-old man was arrested on a murder charge in Lebec at about 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, after homicide detectives identified him as a suspect in the woman’s death, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a Sept. 15 news release.
McClatchy News is not naming the man as he has not been formally charged.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call about a fire at a Century City apartment building shortly before 6 a.m. Sept. 12, officials said in an alert.
When rescuers arrived, officials said they found smoke billowing from a second-floor unit.
Rescuers doused the fire, limited to a mattress inside the apartment, within minutes, according to the department.
A 38-year-old woman inside the apartment was in critical condition, and paramedics took her to a nearby burn center, officials said.
Fire officials noticed the injured woman had stab wounds in addition to burns from the fire and called police officers to the scene, authorities said.
The woman later died at a hospital from her injuries, according to police.
Police said its homicide detectives took up the investigation and identified a suspect in the woman’s death.
The man is being held on $2 million bail, police said, adding that the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to determine if the man should be criminally charged.
McClatchy News reached out to the District Attorney’s Office and is awaiting a response on formal charges.
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Woman found in apartment with burning mattress also had been stabbed, CA cops say."
