SAN DIEGO — A man accused of setting a fire that killed his parents and sister at the family's Logan Heights home plead not guilty in court Tuesday.
Wilber Romero, 26, was booked into county jail Friday on suspicion of arson, three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the deadly early morning fire Oct. 13 blaze that also seriously injured two other family members.
On Tuesday, he denied the murder and arson charges.
The fire in the 3100 block of Clay Avenue erupted shortly before 4:30 a.m. that Sunday morning earlier this month.
"Neighbors told 911 dispatchers a family lived in the home and (that) they could hear screaming inside," Lt. Martha Sainz said.
Arriving firefighters found the home fully enveloped in flames.
One member of the family, 44-year-old Jose Antonio Romero, died in the charred residence. His wife, Nicalasa "Nico" Maya-Romero, 46, and their 21-year-old daughter, Iris Romero, died in a hospital over the next several days.
In court Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Rickole Santin said investigators have "cause to believe that [Wilber Romero] was the perpetrator."
Last week, Romero told News 8 he tried to save his family members but the prosecution denies that.
"You can lock me up, but you're not going to take me in to say this, 'I did it.' I'm not going to say it because I know I didn't do it," Romero said.
Prosecutors painted a different picture of Romero's actions during the fire in court.
“Taking his sister’s dog with him, the defendant slipped out the side door of the family’s home unscathed leaving his two sisters, his brother and his parents trapped inside," said Santin.
RELATED: Logan Heights House Fire: GoFundMe page confirms the death of a third person
The family's other two children, a 23-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son, remain hospitalized.
Santin said Romero's brother Angel was a hero.
"Angel was able to escape through a window, he was able to retrieve help due to some heroic measures despite his own medical issues as a result of the fire," she said.
Authorities did not immediately disclose a suspected motive for the alleged act of homicidal arson. Romero was already on probation at the time of the fire.
The judge set Romero's bail at $5 million saying he was a public safety risk. He stands charged with three counts of murder and two counts of arson causing great bodily harm.
Sankin says, if convicted, Romero faces life in prison adding the option of the death penalty is still being discussed.