Saturday, October 25, 2014
WARREN — The bodies of a man and woman were found in a house that was destroyed in a fire at 448 Ivanhoe Street NE late Friday.
A neighbor said Charlie McNear, who is about 50, lived there with his girlfriend. McNear is listed as the owner on the Trumbull County Auditor’s web site.
The woman’s body was removed by firefighters as they were fighting the fire. The man’s body was removed after the fire was out, an investigator said.
Investigators with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Warren Police Department and Warren Fire Department were at the scene early Saturday continuing to investigate.
But the Warren Fire Department said police are the lead agency, backing up news reports that the fire is being treated as a possible crime scene.
Police tape was being used across the front of the property to keep out the public and news media.
A neighbor said McNear was disabled.
“Everybody around here tried to help Charlie out,” he said. “Everybody would try to give him gas money.”
“It was burning really good,” the neighbor said of the fire. “The Warren Fire Department did a good job trying to put it out.”
The neighbor said McNear moved into the house about five years ago after the death of his mother, who owned it before him.
Police said they have not identified the bodies and are investigating to determine the cause of the fire, which began at about 11:35 p.m.
Ivanhoe is on the far north part of the city off of Park Avenue.