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Background: News footage of the January house fire in San Marino, Calif. (KTLA). Inset: Dr. Irene Gaw-Gonzalo (Facebook).
A California-based doctor who was found dead in her home after a house fire was murdered by her estranged husband, prosecutors said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney”s Office announced in a press release on Tuesday that 62-year-old Yoon Lai was being charged with the murder of his late wife, 56-year-old Dr. Irene Gaw-Gonzalo months after she was found dead in a house fire. Lai is also being charged with arson in connection to the fire at their San Marino home, an alleged act that may have been an attempt to cover up the murder.
While no motive was provided by authorities, the couple was reportedly in the process of divorcing.
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According to reporting by the Los Angeles Times, an investigation by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives began not long after the fire on Jan. 6. Because of the extent of the burns to Gaw-Gonzalo’s body, which was found on the home’s doorstep, the medical examiner could not determine an exact cause of death. Her manner of death was also listed as undetermined, according to local CBS affiliate KCAL.
When Gaw-Gonzalo’s burned body was found to have evidence of additional physical trauma, detectives investigated her death as a homicide.
“The violent death of Dr. Irene Gaw-Lai is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “She was not only a respected physician and business leader, but a mother who deserved safety and dignity in her own home. We will not rest until the person responsible for this senseless tragedy is held fully accountable.”
At the time of the fire, Lai claimed that he had returned to his family home in northeast Los Angeles after taking the couple’s 16-year-old twins to baseball practice. The fire was reported to authorities at 9:45 a.m. that day, according to local ABC affiliate KABC.
KABC also spoke to neighbors who knew the couple, who confirmed to the outlet that Lai and Gaw-Gonzalo were in the process of divorcing. The Los Angeles Times reported that Gaw-Gonzalo had filed for divorce from Lai for the second time in August 2024. She also filed for divorce in 2003.
After serving 25 search warrants, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau detectives arrested Lai on July 3. Lai pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and arson during his arraignment on Tuesday. He is being held on $2.25 million bail.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 12.
