OAK HILL, W.Va. – Fayette County police were looking for two men with a possible connection to Sunday’s early morning house fire near that killed one woman and badly burned a second.
Fayette County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Jim Sizemore called the two “persons of interest.” They’re described as white men, one in his mid-50s, the other in his early 20s. They were last seen walking in the area of East Main Street near the intersection with Gatewood Road late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
The call came in to 911 about the blaze around 1:45 a.m. Sunday of a house on fire on Gatewood Road. When firefighters arrived they broke down the front door and found two women, whom they pulled out of the home and transported to the Cabell Huntington Hospital burn unit.
On Monday, Cheryl Ward, 28, of Oak Hill, died from the injuries. Jamie Castillo, 39, recently living in Oak Hill, remains in critical condition with severe burns.
The owners of the home were not there at the time of the fire and have confirmed to deputies that one of the victims did know the family.
Investigators have determined the fire started in the front room of the home not far from where the women were located. At this point, they don’t know the cause of the fire, whether it was accidental or arson. The state Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing its investigation. State police are assisting the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department with the case.
Ward’s body was sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
Citizens with any information about the fire are asked to call the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department at (304) 574-4216 or Crime Stoppers at (304) 255-7867.