Suspect identified in deadly stabbing, house fire in Arroyo Grande

Police have identified the man suspected of killing one person and injuring another Monday evening before they say he intentionally set an Arroyo Grande house on fire .

In a video on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon, Arroyo Grande Police Department Cmdr. Dave Culver identified the suspect in the incident as 29-year-old Alan Osio.

Culver said Osio was booked into County Jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and arson of an inhabited structure.

“This was a tragic event, and difficult for all those involved,” Culver said in the video. “We’d like to offer our sincerest condolences to anyone who has been affected by this incident.”

Neighbors grabbed extinguishers to try to stop house fire as injured woman screamed

Authorities and eyewitnesses at the scene of the fire Monday night described a chaotic scene.

It began shortly after 6 p.m. when officers arrived in the 200 block of Spruce Street for reports of a bleeding woman “screaming and yelling in the roadway,” Culver said.

According to eyewitness Damian Tejada, who lives in an apartment next to the home, he and other neighbors heard yelling and screaming from the house Monday evening.

That’s when they saw the female resident of the home run out of the house bleeding.

Culver said the woman told officers who arrived at the scene that her husband was still inside of the residence. The officer then attempted to enter the building but were unable to, Culver said.

This was when they noticed a fire was burning in the building.

At the same time, the Five Cities Fire Authority was called to the area for what was initially labeled as “unknown medical aid” after the Arroyo Grande Police Department had already arrived at the scene, according to a Fire Authority news release Tuesday.

Location of deadly stabbing, house fire in Arroyo Grande

One person was killed and another injured in a stabbing and house fire on Spruce Street in Arroyo Grande.

Map created with the assistance of ChatGPT.

Tejada said neighbors could see smoke coming out the front door, and some got fire extinguishers to try to fight the blaze until authorities arrived.

He could also see someone standing on the balcony of the home, being yelled at by somebody outside of the house, he said. Tejada said the person was yelling something to the effect of “Why are you doing this?”

Arson suspect leapt from side window of barricaded home, tried to flee, witness says

Jesse Zambrano, who lives across the street from the house, told The Tribune he was doing homework when he heard sirens speed by his house and then smelled burning rubber.

When he went outside, he said he saw firefighters and police officers responding to the scene.

The Five Cities Fire Authority said engines arrived on scene at around 6:18 p.m. to find a two-story house with “light smoke showing.”

According to Culver, emergency responders at the scene by that time had determined the woman and her husband had been “assaulted and stabbed by the suspect.”

According to the Five Cities Fire Authority release, officers informed firefighters that the suspect had barricaded himself inside the house with the male victim and was reported to be armed with a weapon.

Firefighters initially worked in a “defensive fire suppression effort” because of the violent nature of the incident, the release said, adding the fire grew from both the first and second floors of the home and suppression efforts were limited because of the “active threat.”

Tejada said Osio emerged onto the balcony a few more times, before jumping out a side window and running through the backyard, where officers caught him.

The Five Cities Fire Authority said he attempted to set additional fires in neighboring yards as he tried to flee the scene, but was quickly apprehended.

That’s when firefighters were able to engage in “a more aggressive fire attack” and search for victims inside the home.

Firefighters then found the second assault victim inside the building, and he was taken outside.

Zambrano said he watched four firefighters carry the male victim outside the house and attempt CPR.

Despite those attempted lifesaving measures, the man died from his injuries at the scene.

The injured woman, who suffered a cut on her arm, was later transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment, the Fire Authority said.

Investigation into Arroyo Grande house fire continues

Osio was treated at the scene for his injuries and later transported to a nearby hospital, police said.

Two first responders also received minor injuries during the incident, the Fire Authority said.

According to its release, Five Cities Fire Authority was handling the arson investigation and working with the Arroyo Grande Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, which are handling the criminal investigation.

Cal Fire, the Grover Beach Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office also assisted at the scene, the release said.

The names of the man killed and the woman injured were not released Tuesday as investigation into the incident continued.

“This is still an active and ongoing investigation,” Culver said. “And we urge anyone with any information to contact the Arroyo Grande Police Department Investigative Unit.”