Homeless man ID’ed as ‘person of interest’ in deadly Seal Beach fire

Authorities identified late Wednesday a 37-year-old man as a “person of interest” in a Seal Beach fire that resulted in the death of a man and his dog.

Eric Jesus Andrade, a homeless man with distinct tattoos on his right arm, may be “associated” with fire that tore through a home in the 200 block of 17th Street shortly after midnight on Saturday, according to a statement from the Seal Beach Police Department.

Anyone who sees Andrade, described as a white man with brown eyes and brown hair, is asked to call Seal Beach police at (562) 594-7232.

Earlier Wednesday, Seal Beach police Sgt. Phil Gonshak said the fire was caused by an incendiary device, which ignited combustibles outside the building. The fire spread into the home and to the second-floor, killing John Donnelly and his Jack Russell terrier, Eddie.

Police said they have not identified a motive for the intentionally set blaze.

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Investigators are awaiting autopsy results to determine the exact cause of Donnelly’s death.

Firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze “because of the amount of debris in the residence,” said Carlos Huerta, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority. As they searched the home, they found Donnelly and his dog on the second floor, he said.

The fire caused $500,000 in structural damage and $20,000 in damage to contents, fire officials said.

Jane Parnes, a volunteer with Seal Beach Animal Care Center, a local nonprofit shelter, called Donnelly a “sweet soul” who loved animals. Parnes went to the scene soon after the fire “hoping to find out that he and Eddie died together,” she said.

“He loved that dog more than anything,” Parnes said of the victim. “He used to carry him like a little baby.”

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Floreen Bursinger described Donnelly as “a hoarder.” She said she and other neighbors told city officials several times about his living conditions because they were concerned that if his unit caught fire, the flames would spread quickly.

Times staff writer Matt Stevens and photographer Irfan Khan contributed to this report.

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