News Releases

Update: Silver Spring Apartment Fire Death Investigation – A Sixth Victim Located Deceased; Missing Person Ochoa Located Safe and Unharmed

For Immediate Release: Monday, August 15, 2016

The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) continues its death investigation following a fatal fire that occurred at apartment buildings in the 8700 block of Arliss Street in Silver Spring on the night of Wednesday, August 10.  The Police Department is confirming that today, Monday, August 15, personnel located a sixth body within a building.

Police investigators have not yet identified the six victims.  The bodies have been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy and possible identification.

During this investigation, police detectives received information regarding eight people who were believed to be in one of the involved apartment buildings at the time of the fire and were unaccounted for after the fire occurred.  Investigators collected lease information from property management.  They also spoke to family and/or friends of the missing individuals with the exception of missing person, Oscar Armando Ochoa; detectives had not been able to confirm that he was in the apartment building at the time of the fire.  Today, detectives were able to locate Oscar Armando Ochoa and confirm in person that he is unharmed.  In speaking with Ochoa, investigators learned that Ochoa had moved from the apartments and was not at the apartments at the time of the fire.  Lease information had not been updated to reflect this move.



The joint investigation between the MCPD, the Department of Fire and Rescue Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is ongoing and the possible cause/causes of this fire are still under investigation.  Search and recovery efforts continue.

RLI

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Release ID: 16-202
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: death-investigation