Police seek three in suspicious hotel fire
Arson investigators have released photos of three people believed to be inside the Shamrock Hotel before fire ravaged the building, causing more than $1 million in damages.
On Aug. 28, police and firefighters had to rescue five people from the hotel at 11th Street S.E.
At the time, one patron complained he couldn’t use the fire escape because a ladder was chained up.
Nobody was seriously injured despite having to be rescued by emergency personnel through broken windows.
The cause of the fire has not been determined as investigators are still awaiting test results to determine how the blaze began.
“It’s certainly suspicious,” said Staff Sgt. Bruce Walker of the arson unit.
As part of the investigation, police have reviewed hours of surveillance video and have discovered the three people inside the building before the fire started.
Investigators are still trying to determine their identity.
“There are three individuals that we haven’t been able to get in contact with,” Walker said.
It’s unknown if they were guests of the hotel, only that they were inside the building.
In October, the fire department announced it had laid safety violation charges against the owner and sole director of the hotel.
Louisa K. Ho faces four charges related to fire separation doors in the hotel’s stairwells not being closed, one charge of failing to maintain the fire separation doors and one additional charge of failing to ensure the means of egress.
Police encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.