Suspect sought after Spring Valley home set ablaze with two inside

SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said a structure fire in Spring Valley has been determined to be arson.

A call came in around 7:35 p.m. Tuesday reporting a house fire in the 900 block of Sacramento Avenue, authorities confirmed. Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station responded to the location, along with the San Miguel Fire Department.

According to the sheriff's department, the people inside the home were safely evacuated. One person, however, was medically evaluated on scene for minor burns and smoke inhalation.

Detectives from the sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit were also called to the scene to investigate the origin and cause of the blaze. The fire was determined to have started inside a bedroom of the residence, and the sheriff's department said the cause of the fire was determined to be arson.

An investigation led detectives to identify Sean Arkward, 55, as the individual suspected to have started the house fire. He was not located at the scene.

In a news release on the matter, the sheriff's department stated that Arkward is wanted for arrest. He was described as a Black man who stands 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. He has brown eyes and short black hair.

Anyone with information on Arkward's whereabouts is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in this case, according to the sheriff's department.