Hunt Continues for Man in Seal Beach Arson Homicide

SEAL BEACH, CA - Police today continued the search for a homeless man wanted for questioning in the arson death of a 67-year-old Seal Beach man last weekend.

According to a Seal Beach Police Department bulletin, 37-year-old Eric Jesus Andrade "may be a person of interest associated with this crime."

"At this point we want to talk to him as a potential witness," said Seal Beach Police Department Sgt. Michael Henderson.

The victim, John Donnelly, would let Andrade sleep on his property by his garage, according to Seal Beach police Sgt. Phil Gonshak. Since the fire, he's mysteriously disappeared, according to investigators. Andrade is known to frequent homeless encampments in Seal Beach and Long Beach.

Investigators suspect the blaze that killed the 67-year-old Donnelly and his dog on Saturday was deliberately set because a police dog sniffed an accelerant at the scorched two-story duplex in the 200 block of 17th Street, Gonshak said. Police have not yet nailed down the type of accelerant used, he said.

The homeless population in Seal Beach is tight-knit, so it is unusual for the transients in the area to not know where Andrade has been for the past several days, Gonshak said.

"The transient population is well interconnected," he said. "They know where each other stays, their spots, their daily routines, and this guy is literally gone and it's extremely bizarre. And it's no secret we're looking for him and he still isn't coming forward."

The sergeant added, "We need to find this guy so we can clear his name or find out more information ... that's relevant to our case."

Police have been poring over several hours of surveillance video for clues, Gonshak said.

Donnelly would let Andrade sleep on his property below the apartment by the garage, where a chair was there for the transient to use, Gonshak said.

Coroner's investigators have not yet released the cause of death in the case. 

Andrade is 5-foot-9, weighs about 160 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair. Anyone with information about his whereabouts was asked to call Detective Pete Krok at (562) 799-4100, ext. 1110, or police dispatchers at (562) 594-7232.

City News Service