A 27-year-old Santa Maria resident has been identified as the man who died after he barricaded himself and his girlfriend in a residence where an arson fire occurred Tuesday night, according to Santa Maria police.
Jovan Evan Davis was pronounced dead at the scene after firefighters pulled him and a woman from the burning residence in the 600 block of East Sunrise Drive, police Lt. Paul Van Meel said Wednesday.
Police initially provided the wrong name for Davis and released the correct name Thursday morning after numerous inquiries from Noozhawk.
The woman who also was in the apartment was resuscitated and transported to a Marian Regional Medical Center for treatment.
However, Santa Maria police did not release the woman’s name or age, and said Wednesday they did not know her condition.
Both the arson and death investigations were continuing Wednesday, Van Meel said.
Police did not release the cause of death for Davis.
The incident started around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday when a California Highway Patrol officer spotted a vehicle speeding near Santa Maria Way and Sunrise Drive.
The driver led officers on a pursuit and later barricaded himself in his girlfriend’s apartment, where law enforcement officers responded.
But officers were forced to evacuate the residence due to flames and smoke, according to Battalion Chief Mike Barneich from the Santa Maria Fire Department.
Firefighters from several Santa Maria fire stations worked to quickly knock down the fire, making multiple ventilation holes to release smoke and heat to assist with the survival of the barricaded subjects, he said.
Emergency personnel resuscitated the injured woman, who had no pulse and received CPR. A California Highway Patrol officer said the woman was breathing and talking by the time she reached the hospital.
Two firefighters also were injured in the incident.
Barneich estimated the fire caused $500,000 damage to the building and contents.
Anyone with information on either of these incidents is requested to contact the Santa Maria Police Department Detective Bureau at 805.928.3781 extension 2278.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.