Second body found in burned Calif. house

SANTEE, Calif. – Investigators on Sunday found a second body, believed to be a woman in the charred remains of a San Diego County home where a man called 911 saying he was going to kill himself and his wife and set the place ablaze, authorities said.

Only the man and his wife lived in the house, and the discovery ends the search for victims of the Saturday fire that forced evacuations and sent a huge plume of black smoke over the city of Santee, Sheriff's Lt. Jim Duffy said.

The body hasn't been identified, but it appeared to be a woman, Duffy said.

The body of a 60-year-old man was found in the rubble on Saturday, the county Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement. His name has not been released, pending notification of relatives.

On Saturday, the man told neighbors he was having financial troubles and that his wife had cancer.

He then called 911 and said he was going to kill his wife, burn his house down, shoot anyone who approached the house, and kill himself, sheriff's Lt. Dennis Brugos said in a statement.

Firefighters and deputies found the house in flames and heard explosions they believed to be from ammunition.

The house was soon engulfed in flames and destroyed as firefighters shifted their focus to protecting neighbor's homes. The house next door had minor damage from the fire.

The San Diego Union Tribune reports county records show the home was owned by 60-year-old Michael Cour and 70-year-old Janice Gervais since 1999, and that World Savings Bank foreclosed on the property Dec. 6. The couple filed for voluntary bankruptcy last summer.