VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — A 33-year-old man charged with murder and arson in a deadly San Marcos house fire over the weekend will undergo a competency evaluation before his criminal case moves forward.
Police arrested Luis Alvarado for allegedly murdering two people and setting fire to a house on Lacebark Street. Alvarado appeared in court Thursday for his arraignment, but a judge delayed the proceedings after his defense requested that he be evaluated to determine whether he is mentally competent to stand trial. The judge allowed cameras but ordered his face to be blurred.
Alvarado is accused of killing a married couple, Michael and Katherine Austin. Firefighters discovered the bodies of the couple, who were in their 70s, as they worked to put out the flames. The Austins were renting out a room to Alvarado.
"He will go through those evaluative procedures and mental health procedures to determine his competency, and we’ll go from there," said Deputy District Attorney Tatiana Nicola.
Alvarado already has two other pending cases that had been paused for similar competency evaluations.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and arson. If convicted, he could face life without parole or death. He was denied bond and is due back in court for his competency hearing in mid-May.
At a vigil Monday night, friends told ABC 10News the Austins were a wonderful couple who rented out rooms in the house to bring in extra money, and at times mentored the individuals who stayed there. They said they were aware of problems at the house involving tenants.
On Thursday, the courtroom was packed with family and friends who showed up in support of the couple. They requested privacy.
Deputy District Attorney Tatiana Nicola spoke about the impact of the loss.
"I think these two people were beloved parents, beloved members of the community, and their loss is incredibly tragic," Nicola said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
