KCSO Homicide Unit investigating death of Oildale woman who said she was set on fire

OILDALE, Calif. (KERO) — The Kern County Sheriff’s Office says its Homicide Unit will investigate the death of Frances Lopez, the 33-year-old Oildale woman who suffered severe burns in a July tent fire and later died.

In a follow-up to 23ABC’s reporting on Lopez, Christine Granillo, who says she was inside the tent with Lopez when the fire happened, is sharing her account of the incident.

Granillo says the confrontation happened July 11 at a homeless encampment in Oildale, when three people arrived demanding money. She says the dispute quickly turned violent.

According to Granillo, Lopez was told to leave but refused.

“She didn’t want to leave me alone because she didn’t know what they were going to do,” Granillo said.

Granillo alleges a woman accused her of taking thousands of dollars and hit her with a glass object. She says the woman’s male companion then entered the tent carrying a machete.

“That’s when she said, ‘I should burn this f-ing thing down,’ and the guy said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Granillo recalled.

Granillo says the man poured gasoline on them before the woman set the tent on fire. Granillo says she suffered chemical burns, while Lopez suffered severe burns covering more than 30% of her body.

Granillo says she and Lopez had grown close over the year leading up to the fire. She said Lopez would help her get food, do laundry, and offer assistance when she needed it.

“She cared about people a lot. Even people she didn’t even know, she would help out,” Granillo said. “Frances was a very loving, caring person… she was very… she saved my life, that’s all I know.”

Lopez’s husband, Steven Lopez, said he and Frances had experienced homelessness while living in Ventura before moving in with his mother in Oildale about a year and a half ago. He said those experiences helped shape Frances’s compassion for others.

Lopez’s family recently held a car wash fundraiser in Ventura, raising a little more than $3,000 to help cover funeral expenses.

Steven Lopez said a viewing is scheduled for November 14 at Riordan’s Funeral Home in Ventura.

“After the viewing, we’ll have her cremated and brought home with me,” he said.

Steven also said he was told a new homicide detective had been assigned to the case. He hopes the investigation will bring answers about what happened to his wife.

“I want justice, I mean, I just want justice,” he said.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit is now investigating Lopez’s death. The cause of death had not been confirmed in the information provided to 23ABC.

23ABC will continue following the investigation as more information becomes available.

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