May 09--A Zephyrhills man is in jail after escaping from the early morning fire that destroyed a duplex and killed his live-in girlfriend.
Tiffany Lorraine Milam, 26, was found in a bed just two feet from the front door of the tiny duplex apartment, which was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters responded to the call at 1:45 a.m.
Three neighbors from the unit next door escaped.
Christopher Henry Peterson, 30, told investigators he smelled smoke and tried to tell Milam to get out. He had been released from the Pasco County jail on May 2 after being arrested for domestic battery and possession of marijuana.
"He was arrested for domestic violence against Tiffany Milam," Sheriff Chris Nocco said. "He had been living at this location, which was a violation of his pretrial conditions. He wasn't supposed to have contact with her."
Nocco said Peterson's face was covered with severe bruises. "He told us the neighbor beat him up because he wasn't going back in to help his girlfriend," Nocco said.
The couple has a history of domestic trouble. "We've been called out here twice before for domestic disturbances," he said.
The Pasco County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. Sheriff's Detective Eric Seltzer said both occupants were known smokers. "We're still trying to determine if an accelerant was used."
He said there was no "obvious trauma" found on Milam's body, but he is waiting for an autopsy to determine the cause of her death.
Milam had several children, including a 1-year-old baby, but they were all living with relatives at the time of the fire, Seltzer said.
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