Suspect arrested in murder of 63-year-old woman in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood

SEATTLE – Seattle police said late Monday that that a suspect has been arrested in the death of a 63-year-old woman found in a home earlier in the day in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood.

Investigators confirmed the victim is a 63-year-old woman.

Police said officers contacted the suspect in downtown Seattle hours after the initial call in Lake City. Based on statements made by the suspect to the officers, the suspect was detained and transported to the homicide office, where he was interviewed by detectives.  Following his interview, the 23-year-old suspect was booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Murder, police said.

This remains an active and on-going investigation, police said.

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SWAT and fire crews were on the scene of a fire and death investigation near Lake City Way on Monday.

Homicide detectives were conducting a suspicious death investigation, which began as a welfare check in the 2500 block of N.E. 107th St. on Monday morning.

Seattle Police Department Detective Mark Jamieson says officers responded at 10:15 a.m. Monday to a Lake City residence to check the welfare of someone who lives there.

Jamieson says as officers were knocking on the door, they heard what sounded like a smoke alarm inside. Officers checked around the house and discovered smoke coming from inside and called the Seattle Fire Department.

Officers then entered the house through an unlocked door and discovered a woman's body.

After firefighters put of the blaze and officers determined no one else was in the house, detectives arrived and began an investigation.

Fire crews said the fire was small and easily extinguished.

Some people in the neighborhood said they were evacuated from their homes.