Police: Man set mobile home on fire, killing woman in Paynesville, Minn.

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is in custody after he allegedly set a woman's mobile home on fire in Paynesville, Minnesota. The woman suffered fatal injuries in the fire.

According to the Paynesville Police Department, Tuesday night, officers responded to 420 Minnie Street on a report of a man pouring gasoline inside a trailer and starting it on fire. The trailer was engulfed when they arrived.

Firefighters and officers learned a woman was inside the trailer. She was transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

A man was arrested at the scene and transported to the hospital. He was then transported to jail where he is being held on charges of second-degree murder.

"All of a sudden I seen the fire coming up so then I called 911," said Judy Ramthun, a neighbor. "Only thing I heard was a boom." 

Ramthun and Darwin Martinson watched as the fire consumed the trailer. They then learned the suspect's daughter was still inside the bathroom. 

"They carried her out. They were working on her right here in our yard back here," Ramthun said. 

"It was too late," Martinson said. "There was no movement."

Wednesday, police confirmed the suspect is, in fact, the victim's father. They considered her a sweet neighbor, but now mourn her loss. 

"She paid the bills, she had cats and kittens," Ramthun recalled. "He didn't want her there and the cat and kittens." 

"There's no reason for you to kill your friggen' daughter," Ramthun said. 

Police expect to release more information once the medical examiner confirms the victim's identity. Meanwhile, the man is held on second-degree murder charges and waits for his first court appearance.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 320-251-4240.