January 20, 2009

A 16-year-old girl will appear in court today charged with the arson of a south Auckland house which left a woman dead.
The girl was charged after the fire in Pukekohe early today. She was due to appear in Pukekohe Youth Court.
Firefighters arrived to find the Pukekohe house well ablaze shortly after 1am. The fire was in the bottom floor of the two-storey house and the body was found after it was brought under control.
The victim was believed to be a 49-year-old woman who lived at the house and who was known to the girl charged with arson.
Detective Inspector Mark Gutry of Counties Manukau police said there were suspicions soon after firefighters and police arrived that the fire may have been deliberately lit.
'We were approached by witnesses so it is probably from that that has put it into the suspicious area.'
He said it was to soon to say exactly how the fire began.
'The Fire Service will be there today and will work out the cause. We have got an idea but we just need to confirm a few things.'
He said the victim and the teenager girl charged with arson were known to each other but were not related.
A post mortem on the body would probably be held today to determine the exact cause of death.
Mr Gutry said the victim died in the fire and was not stabbed, shot or beaten to death.