Elizabeth Bell Obituary – The caregiver of an 86-year-old Phoenix woman who died in a fire has been arrested in connection with her death, with police alleging that he burned down her home while she was inside, according to multiple reports. On Thursday, authorities responded to a house fire and found Elizabeth Bell dead inside, ABC 15 reports. A second victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, 12 News reports.
In a post on X, Phoenix police identified Wayne Tweed, 59, as a suspect, with police alleging that he had set fire to the house and fled, AZ Family reports. Tweed was arrested Friday, police say. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Tweed is charged with first-degree murder, among several other charges including arson and kidnapping, Maricopa County Jail records indicate. He is currently in custody and being held on a $2 million bond. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained a lawyer, but he has a court date scheduled for Thursday.
Citing court documents, AZ Family reports that Tweed was hired as Bell’s caregiver a year ago, and lived in a trailer on her property. According to court records, Tweed has an extensive criminal history, including pleading no contest to manslaughter and driving under the influence in 1988.