Search For Man Thought To Have Been Killed In Mt. Washington House Fire Ends

Mt. Washington (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles fire officials said Thursday they have ended their recovery search for a victim thought to have been trapped in a burning hillside house in Mt. Washington a week ago.

For seven days, search and rescue teams, along with specially trained dogs, combed through the charred rubble of what used to be a three-story, 9,100-square-foot house, they did not find the body of a man believed to have been killed in the fire, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

"Unfortunately, despite a diligent and meticulous search, no victim or remains were located," the LAFD's press release said.

Other residents in the house identified the man in his 80's as Bob Tiegen, who is gone without a trace.

It took nearly three hours for firefighters to knock down the fire that sent a 74-year-old woman to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation on Oct. 20.

Firefighters said 10 to 12 people were living in the house. Everyone escaped, except for Tiegen, who claimed to own the house.

Witnesses said he ran back into the burning home and wasn't seen again. They said the property, which is now in foreclosure, has a shady history.

They said they were not surprised by this latest development. "Well, it kind of fits with the whole mystery of the house. We call it the trouble house," B.J. Gallagher said. "There's been a lot of odd stuff, a lot of conflict, a lot of police called to the home over the years."

"It's a fairly tight-knit community. But this home was an exception - multiple problems with drug dealing, fights," Jerry Schneider said.

A realtor, who once listed the property, said the missing man claimed to own the house, but the title has changed hands a number of times over the years.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.