San Mateo: Fatal fire ruled arson

Dec. 08--SAN MATEO -- A three-alarm fire at a house where a woman was found dead last month was intentionally set, police said Wednesday.

Investigators with the San Mateo fire and police departments based their conclusion on evidence that was collected at the scene. Police, however, did not specify what was found or where the fire was set.

The motive is under investigation, and while no suspects have been identified, police are treating the arson as an "isolated incident," said San Mateo police Sgt. Amanda Von Glahn.

"This is an ongoing investigation and the detectives are working around the clock to determine who is responsible for starting the fire," police said in a news release. "We will provide updates on this investigation when they are made available."

The fire on the 1500 block of Oak Street was reported by a newspaper deliveryman around 4:40 a.m. on Nov. 25. Firefighters tried to revive a 70-year-old woman found inside the home but ended up pronouncing her dead. She was identified as Sandra Caron.

Von Glahn said police had been to the home before. In 2011, officers shot and killed Caron's 35-year-old son, Robert, in the backyard after he opened fire with a revolver. Robert Caron reportedly suffered from serious mental illness and had multiple run-ins with law enforcement, including several criminal convictions, before the fatal encounter.

Sandra Caron and her husband Lionel also were investigated by police in connection with a family-owned spa in downtown San Mateo. Eight women sued and received an estimated $2 million in insurance payouts after alleging that two of the spa's male workers groped them. At least one of the men served jail time, but the Carons were never charged.

The business closed abruptly in October 2007 after the couple filed for bankruptcy protection.

Anyone with information about the case can call San Mateo police Detective Dave Manion at 650-522-7654 or the secret witness line at 650-522-7676. Tips also can be submitted at http://tinyurl.com/SMPDTips.

___

(c)2016 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.