Body Found in House Fire; Homicide Is Suspected

A badly burned body believed to be that of a woman in her late 20s was found by firefighters battling a house fire Thursday afternoon, and police said she may have been slain before the blaze broke out.

Police and firefighters discovered the charred remains of a body believed to be that of Claudia Chase when they answered the call at a home in the 6000 block of Cerulean Avenue.

“The fire did not look like the cause of death,” Garden Grove police Sgt. Phil Mason said. “We’re treating this one as a homicide.”

Neighbors said Chase lived with her mother and a brother in the quiet, secluded neighborhood in Garden Park Estates.

Mason said no one else was injured in the blaze, adding that the woman appeared to have died from injuries unrelated to the fire. Neighbors were overheard telling investigators they saw a man leave the house shortly after they saw flames. Police declined comment.

Neighbors, who said Chase was about 28, described her as a “very nice girl.” Chase was a student teacher at Pacifica High in Garden Grove, her alma mater.

Authorities said the fire broke out about 3:50 p.m. Some neighbors said they learned of the blaze only after the roar of fire engines interrupted their Thanksgiving Day dinners.

“We were sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner, heard the fire engines and went outside to see what was wrong,” said Annette Barrie, who lives about five houses away from the Chase home.

“A lot of neighbors were already outside trying to put the fire out. . . . No one knew there was anyone inside.”

It took Garden Grove firefighters about 10 minutes to put out the blaze, which gutted the living room of the two-story house. Authorities said the body was found in the living room area.

Chase’s father, Dr. Mort Chase, was grim-faced as he stood outside the rambling white brick home with yellow shutters while investigators worked inside. He declined comment on the fire and the body found inside the home.

The woman’s mother, Tina Chase, was sequestered nearby at the home of a neighbor.

Barrie said of Claudia Chase: “She was a very nice girl. She was an innocent victim.

“We all lived together for a long time. We’ve all seen our children born and grow up. (It’s) a terrible shock.”