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Search for man seen leaving home before deadly fire
Evan Axelbank reports
The St. Petersburg Police Department has joined the investigation into a fatal house fire that occurred on Wednesday.
READ: 1 dead after 'suspicious' overnight house fire in St. Pete: Fire Rescue
Detectives said they would like to speak to a man leaving the immediate area of 6562 Pasadena Avenue North where a man, later identified as James Duquette, was found dead after a raging fire. Officials said he lived there alone.
Police said a man was seen leaving the area between 12:20 a.m. and 12:30 a.m.
According to SPPD, the man is of undetermined race, in his 20s or 30s, and about 5'11" tall with a thin to medium build. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved white hooded sweatshirt with "Billabong" written on the front and blue jeans.
Neighbors in the surrounding area expressed concern over the incident.
"It's concerning anytime something like this happens in your neighborhood," said Richard Forcey, who lives several blocks away. "Even if you don't know the people."
READ: Social media posts may have prompted deadly Spring Hill home invasion: Sheriff
Photo courtesy: St. Petersburg Fire Rescue
St. Pete police and St. Pete Fire are trying to figure out whether he was alone when the fire started, or why it started in the first place. There were no obvious signs of violence.
"We have to do the due diligence and investigate this thoroughly," said police spokesperson Yolanda Fernandez. "And one of the pieces of that is to talk to as many witnesses as we can."
Police clarified that the man they're looking for is not a suspect, but investigators would like to speak with him and believe he may have information that could assist with the investigation.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue initially responded to the fire early Wednesday morning and extinguished it without incident but wasn't able to complete a detailed search of the home until daylight.
When they searched the home, they found the dead victim. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue reported on Wednesday that the cause of the fire is considered suspicious and is under investigation.
Neighbors FOX 13 spoke to didn't know Duquette well. Police don't know if criminal activity is connected to this. Duquette has been caught with controlled substances and has served a year in state prison.
"Hopefully they would come forward if they know something and they're not the culprit," said Forcey.