Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded on April 22 to a residence on Washoan Road in Apple Valley, where they discovered a man with severe injuries and later found a deceased woman inside the home, according to an official statement.
The incident began when deputies were dispatched for an unknown problem and located the male victim at a neighboring property. Investigators learned that he had been stabbed at his home, which he shared with his wife. As deputies approached the residence, they saw smoke coming from inside. Attempts to enter were unsuccessful due to barricades. A family member managed to exit before shots were heard.
“Within minutes, the residence was fully engulfed in flames and nearby residences were evacuated. The Apple Valley Fire District responded and extinguished the fire. SED personnel cleared the residence and located a deceased woman,” said Sheriff-Coroner Shannon D. Dicus of the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department.
The department reported that its Specialized Enforcement Division attempted contact with the suspect but received no response before flames overtook the house. The Specialized Investigations Detail took over, learning that there had been a physical altercation between victim and suspect prior to both stabbing and arson. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment while positive identification of the decedent is pending; an autopsy will determine cause of death.
Shannon D. Dicus serves as sheriff-coroner for San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department according to its official website. The department serves more than 2.1 million residents through 15 patrol stations according to its official website and operates facilities such as dispatch centers handling numerous service calls according to its official website. Its focus is on providing collaborative law enforcement services professionally according to its official website, while also maintaining a historical society museum dedicated to preserving departmental heritage according to its official website.
Authorities have asked anyone with information about this ongoing investigation to contact their Specialized Investigations Division or use anonymous reporting options provided.
