Crime & Safety

Prosecutors Charge Man with Murder, Arson, Burglary in Death of Woman Found at Mobile Home Fire

Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Sun City man with murder, arson and burglary in the death of a woman whose body was found by firefighters as they put out a mobile home fire Sept. 5 in Green Acres west of Hemet.

David James Lillard, 51, who was arrested Friday and jailed in Banning, appeared in court Sept. 10 at Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, according to District Attorney's spokesman John Hall.


Lillard's arraignment was continued until Sept. 20 at his defense attorney's request, Hall said.

The deceased woman, Autumn Kissinger, 50, of Hemet, was found at the scene of a residential blaze Thursday in the 33600 block of El Centro Avenue, southeast of the SR 74 and SR 79 junction, according to Sgt. Raymond Huskey of the sheriff's Central Homicide Unit.

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Lillard was arrested at 4 a.m. Sept. 6 at 27389 Presley St. in Sun City, about 10 miles west of where Kissinger's body was found in the mobile home fire, according to inmate records.

The cause of Kissinger's death was not disclosed.

"There are no outstanding  suspects involved in this homicide," Huskey said in a statement released Monday afternoon. "This is an ongoing investigation . . . . "

Anyone with more info was urged to call Investigator Jason Corey of the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777, or Investigator Chris Barajas of the sheriff's Perris Station at (951) 210-1000.


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