EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso Police Department is investigating a suspicious death after a demolition surveyor located the body of an unidentified man in a house in south-central El Paso that had burned in a fire over the weekend.
According to EPPD, police were called to the 1300 block of Magoffin regarding the body of an unidentified man. When officers arrived, they learned the body was located in the same area where a structure fire had occurred on Saturday at 1306 Magoffin.
The El Paso Fire Department initially said the fire happened at a home on Magoffin Avenue, but later said it involved other properties on the same street, including 1304, 1306, and 1314 Magoffin.
On Tuesday afternoon, fire crews remained at the 1306 Magoffin property as authorities investigated a fire now deemed arson after human remains were found during cleanup on Monday.
The Crimes Against Persons Unit is currently investigating the death as suspicious.
The fire and death investigations come after the property had drawn several complaints about squatting and other issues.
As KFOX14/CBS4 previously reported, as a result of the complaints, the property was ordered to be demolished in 2025.
In October 2025, the city’s Building and Standards Commission ordered the home demolished. The property is owned by Noramar Corporation, a Dallas-based company, which was given 30 days to demolish the house.
KFOX14/CBS4 spoke with the El Paso County Attorney’s office about any updates regarding the complaints on Magoffin Avenue following the fire.
“We did look into some concerns from residents there a while back, though, including one about a property at 1306 Magoffin. That particular issue came our way after City Representative Chris Canales flagged it, since folks felt it wasn’t being addressed. Once we got the referral, we teamed up with City code enforcement to review what was going on at the site. In the end, City building officials condemned the structure and put it on the demolition list. Because the building was already set for demolition and considered unsafe, the nuisance concerns were taken care of through that process, so our office didn’t need to get involved with legal action. Beyond that, we’ve tried to stay connected with the community about broader issues in Magoffin,” Elhiu Dominguez, Special Projects Coordinator at the El Paso County Attorney’s office, said.
Meanwhile, investigators asked anyone with information regarding the death to contact police at the non-emergency number (915) 832-4400.
Those who want to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers of El Paso at (915) 566-TIPS (8477).
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