Officials: Deadly Fire In Hollywood Is Considered Suspicious
HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) –Crime scene investigators are searching for clues after a fatal fire, deemed suspicious by police, ripped through a Hollywood apartment building on Saturday.
Residents of the building on Taft Street and West Dixie Highway began to evacuate at around midnight when smoke started to fill the building. Twenty five of them made it out.
"We all gathered each other up, started knocking on each others doors, tried to evacuate everybody make sure everybody was safe," said resident Joel Rodriguez.
After crews extinguished the fire, they found a man in his thirties dead inside.
"They notified us that there appeared to be a dead body inside the building," said Hollywood Police Lt. Osvaldo Perez.
"He was a good guy, worked 9 to 5, hardworking man. Unfortunately his house went on fire and he wasn't able to make it," said Rodriguez.
Police are scouring the three-story building for answers. They say the blaze is suspicious.
"We're in the process of investigating the fire and the death of this person," said Lt. Perez.
The State Fire Marshall, Hollywood Fire Department, and the Medical Examiner's office are providing assistance in the investigation.
The Red Cross provided lodging for approximately 25 displaced residents from the building.
Officials are asking the public for help. Anyone with information is urged to called Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.