Man charged with murder over fire
TOOWOOMBA detectives have charged a man with murder after the body of a 63year-old man was discovered in the burnt-out remains of a home in South Toowoomba.
Firefighters were called to the house in Rivett St about 8pm on Sunday.
“After the fire was extinguished the unidentified remains of one deceased person were located inside the house,” a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said.
Officers searching the home also found the body of a dog.
Ongoing investigations led to the arrest of a 29-yearold man a short time later at a nearby residence.
Police alleged that as he was taken into custody, the man assaulted a male police officer by headbutting him in the forehead.
The 29-year-old Toowoomba man has been charged with one count each of murder, misconduct with a corpse, arson, enter dwelling with intent, serious assault police and serious animal cruelty.
He will appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court today.
Yesterday, Police cordoned off a large section of Rivett St and the adjoining MacArthur St as they conducted their investigation.
Detectives from the Toowoomba criminal investigation branch, scenes of crime forensic experts and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services investigators spent yesterday at the scene establishing a cause of the fire.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said firefighters were at the scene minutes after the blaze was reported.
Crews from the Anzac Ave and Kitchener St stations arrived to find the two-storey structure in flames.
“The flames were mainly in the bottom storey, along with some penetration into the first floor,” he said.
“Officers got to work quickly and contained the structure very quickly.”
Their efforts prevented the flames from spilling onto neighbouring properties in the small, suburban street.
Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics were called to support firefighters.
They treated two patients for smoke inhalation.