LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Two women were found dead inside a burning mobile home Tuesday and now a man who confessed to a neighbor is facing two first-degree murder charges, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded around 8:41 a.m. to a residence on East Dale Street near Leesburg after a woman called 911 and said “I have been shot,” records show.
When they arrived a few minutes later, authorities said they saw a man, later identified as Kenneth Porteous, leaving the mobile home as it was on fire.
Investigators detained the 57-year-old suspect and questioned him, according to the sheriff’s office. He immediately asked for an attorney.
Deputies proceeded to investigate the residence where they found the charred remains of two adult females. Authorities are working to notify their families. A pistol was also found on a recliner chair in a carport next to the home, deputies said.
A neighbor said he heard gunshots and as he went outside to investigate, he saw Porteous leaving the burning mobile home and Porteous said he had just shot two people inside and set the residence on fire, according to the affidavit.
Another neighbor also said he only heard the aftermath.
“I woke up to this morning to the fire trucks and the flashing lights,” neighbor Chris Green said. “Quite a tragedy for our community and over here because everything has always been so peaceful.”
Investigators say the women may have known Porteous and the crime appears to be domestic in nature.
“Based on my experience, it shows you how fast things can develop when things get heated,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Fed Jones said. “Once we arrived, we saw a white male leaving the home and we stopped and detained him.”
As authorities were collecting evidence, Porteous said the blood on his hands was from breaking a window and he hoped the blood on his shirt “isn’t hers,” records show.
Porteous is facing two counts of first-degree murder.
This is a developing story, check back with ClickOrlando.com for updates.