SAN MARCOS — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of arson and murder after a house fire in San Marcos killed a husband and wife on Saturday.
Around 11:45 p.m. on March 28, first responders found a home engulfed in flames in the 900 block of Lacebark Street, near Fulton Road and Woodland Parkway. While putting out the blaze, firefighters discovered that two people had died in a room on the second floor.
The sheriff’s Bomb/Arson Unit, as well as the Homicide Unit, were on scene to investigate the incident, including the cause and origin of the fire.
On Sunday, detectives arrested Luis Alvarado, of San Marcos, in connection with the fire. Alvarado has been charged with two counts of murder, as well as arson and resisting an officer, and will be arraigned in Vista Superior Court on Thursday.
The two victims were identified as 73-year-old Michael Austin and his wife, 72-year-old Kathryn Austin.
“Our mom and dad were truly one of a kind—loving, compassionate, and endlessly generous. They didn’t just talk about kindness; they lived it every single day,” the family wrote online.
The family of the victims has established an online fundraiser to help with funeral expenses and other costs.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Unit at (858) 285‑6330, or after hours at (858) 868‑3200. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580‑8477.
UPDATE: This article has been updated to include the victims’ identities.
