A response to a fire just after 4 on Saturday morning leads to the discovery of a dead man. The Eau Claire Police Department and Eau Claire Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 600 block of Congress Street and once able to get inside discovered a body.
The initial investigation has determined responders were called to the residence for a report of an intruder and the home was on fire. After the tenant confronted an intruder in his home there was a physical confrontation. The tenant then notified the other occupants of the fire, and they were able to make it out safely. The deceased individual, identified as 21 year old Jaime Thayer-Vega, was located inside of the residence and was not known to any of the tenants. The preliminary autopsy report shows the cause of death was smoke inhalation. Further autopsy results and information are pending.
The investigation into this incident is active and ongoing.
