The first New Haven homicide in almost six months occurred over the weekend, a Sunday press release from the New Haven Police Department reported.

During the overnight hours of Jan. 23, firefighters responded to the Winslow-Celantano apartment building at 60 Warren St. 56-year-old Willie Evans was found inside, and he was then taken to Yale New-Haven hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

While at the hospital, the press release said, it was suspected that Evans had died as a result of smoke inhalation and that there was no obvious evidence to suspect otherwise.

“The initial fire investigation didn’t turn up anything to suggest the fire had been intentionally set,” NHPD spokesman David Hartman said in the release.

Hartman also said that autopsy results from the Office of the Chief State’s Medical Examiner were eventually released to detectives, indicating that Evans was a victim of a homicide. No suspect has been identified, but the department’s arson investigators have joined in on the case.

Evan’s apartment has since been boarded up and secured, Hartman added, and police are currently guarding the site as they await a signed search warrant. Arson investigators and detectives hope more information will be revealed during further investigation, Hartman added.

STEPHANIE ADDENBROOKE