TAMPA, Florida — A Monday night house fire is a mystery to a Seminole Heights neighborhood after a man was found dead inside.
The smell of fire was still apparent Tuesday evening after neighbors said the home was bulldozed throughout the day.
"I never feel afraid, until now. That's kind of scary," Carole Palka said as she was shocked and in disbelief.
The resident of 33 years reacted seeing a charred home down from her own.
Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the fire on East Crenshaw Street. The Tampa Police Department says one person was found dead and another was detained at the scene in connection to the fire. Investigators say the incident doesn't seem to be a random act of violence.
"I heard that one person was killed. But then the other one had started the fire. It's scary, the fact that you had someone in the neighborhood that was like that, and you didn't realize it," Palka said.
Police say the man found dead is an adult, but they haven't identified him yet.
"He was always nice to me. He used to come and say, 'Hi, how are you?' I'm walking my dog and he's seeing the dog and he would pet the dog," Palka said.
The mystery surrounding what happened and who was killed leaves neighbors to wonder if they were living with a false sense of security.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated. Police say the person detained has not been arrested in connection to the fire.