The suspect in a Monday morning burglary and arson in South Phoenix has been found dead in a Las Vegas hotel room, according to Phoenix police. Nathaniel Astle, 32, is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
At around 5:30 am on Monday June 22nd, 2015 Phoenix Police officer were called to a residence in the area of 1800 East Dunbar Dr. in response to a burglary. Upon arrival two officers saw that a window to the front of the home had been broken. Officers approached the front door to the home and found the door to be unlocked. When they opened the door, officers observed the front of the home to be fully engulfed in fire.
The officers could not enter the home from the front so they went to the east/driveway side of the house. There they saw the 26 year old victim and her two children on a second floor balcony of the home as the house was quickly filling with smoke. Thinking quickly, the officers backed their SUV patrol vehicle into the driveway and under the balcony. The officers then first had the mother drop the children to them and then assisted the mother as she climbed from the balcony and onto the vehicle. The family was quickly moved to safety as Phoenix Fire extinguished the fire.
Phoenix Fire/Arson investigators determined the fire to be suspicious and Astle as a suspect for this attack on the family.