Santee man kills wife then set fire to home because of foreclosure

A distraught Santee, California man called 911 and told the dispatcher he was going to kill his wife then set fire to his house because his home was in foreclosure and he and his wife were unemployed.

When officers arrived at the Clifford Heights Road home around 2:40 p.m. on New Year’s Day, they saw flames shooting out of the garage.

Reports say firefighters had to wait at the bottom of a hill below the house for about 20 minutes before taking on the blaze because of fears that an armed suspect was inside.

Sheriff’s Lt. Jim Duffy later told the media “We got a call from a male subject who said he had shot his wife and was going to burn his house down.  Shortly thereafter, the house in fact did go up in flames.”

Firefighters found one body in the ashes and rubble of the home on Saturday. Authorities say they will resume the search today for a second body.

Neighbor Ruth Taloza told the Union-Tribune that she had spoken with the male occupant of the home earlier in the day and he told her that his wife had cancer and they were being evicted from their home.

“He told me they’re being kicked out of their home and they were both laid off from their jobs,” Taloza said. “They had tried for a lower loan rate and were denied.”

The couple’s identity has not been disclosed.