Have You Seen this Man Connected to Fatal Seal Beach Fire?

SEAL BEACH, CA - Police asked for the public's help today to find a homeless man who may be a person of interest or witness to the fire that killed a 67-year-old man and his dog in Seal Beach.

Authorities believe Eric Jesus Andrade, 37, has information that might aid the investigation into the death of John Donnelly, who was found dead in a burning two-story duplex last week, according to Seal Beach police Sgt. Phil Gonshak.

Andrade was someone Donnelly occasionally allowed to stay in his garage.

“He would let people stay in his garage, but not in his apartment,” Gonshak told The Orange Register. “We find it extremely odd that we can’t find him anywhere.”

Andrade was described as a white man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds with brown eyes, brown hair and a tattoo circling his right elbow.

The fire was reported around 12:15 a.m. Saturday in the 200 block of 17th Street, Gonshak said.

After firefighters extinguished the blaze, they found Donnelly and his dog, both dead, inside of the second-floor apartment, Gonshak said.

Three other people living in the downstairs apartment were able to get out of the duplex safely after the blaze broke out, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

No other injuries were reported.

Investigators determined the fire was "suspicious in nature," Concialdi said.

The fire caused an estimated $500,000 damage to the duplex's structure and about $20,000 damage to its contents, Concialdi said.

Anyone with any information about Andrade's whereabouts was urged to call Seal Beach police at (562) 594-7232.

City News Service