A woman could not escape deadly flames by crawling into her bathtub last month, and now, Oceanside police say her husband is responsible for setting that fire.
Andrew Hollis, 63, was arrested Thursday, accused of homicide and arson in the death of his wife, 74-year-old Gertrude.
On Feb. 22, she was found dead in the back bathroom of a Lamplighter Mobile Home Park house on North River Road. The water in the bathtub was running, Oceanside fire officials said.
Outside the home, firefighters found Andrew suffering from smoke inhalation and serious burns to his face and upper body. Officials told NBC 7 the next day that he had begged emergency crews to rescue his wife and stepson who were still inside.
Andrew was taken to UC San Diego’s Burn Center, where he has stayed since the fire.
The stepson was unaccounted for hours after the fire, but he later turned up unharmed and spoke with investigators. He was ruled out as a suspect.
The Oceanside Fire and Police departments have been working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to solve the suspicious fire, which burned the home Andrew and Gertrude had lived in for more than 30 years, according to neighbors.
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It’s unclear what led investigators to suspect Andrew in this case.
