Death of West Kelowna woman found in house fire ruled a homicide

KELOWNA – RCMP are calling the death of a woman found in a suspicious house fire last November a homicide.

On Nov. 4, 2015, around 1:45 a.m., West Kelowna RCMP and West Kelowna Fire Rescue were called to a house fire on Boucherie Road.

The body of Hazel Delgado Budiongan, 37, was found inside.

Sgt. Craig Andirchuk says an autopsy confirmed Budiongan died as a result of homicide but police are not releasing the exact cause of death.

“Investigators are confident that the suspect and victim were known to each other,” Andirchuk says in a media release. “The RCMP strongly believe this to have been an isolated incident.”

The West Kelowna RCMP General Investigation Section will continue to work in conjunction with the B.C. Coroners Service to investigate.

RCMP are asking anyone with information to contact Andrichuk of the West Kelowna RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) at 250-768-2880. If you wish to remain anonymous contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leave an online tip at www.crimestoppers.net or text your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.