SAN MARINO, CA – A Southern California doctor was killed by her estranged husband, who allegedly set fire to their San Marino home in an effort to mask her death, prosecutors said Tuesday as murder and arson charges were announced.

Yoon Lai, 62, faces charges in the killing of Dr. Irene Gaw-Gonzalo, 56, months after authorities discovered her burned body following a house fire in January. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office alleges Lai intentionally started the fire and murdered Gaw-Gonzalo during a contentious divorce.

The blaze broke out on Jan. 6 at the couple’s home in San Marino, a quiet residential community northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Firefighters arriving around 9:45 a.m. found Gaw-Gonzalo’s body, severely burned, near the doorstep. Lai reportedly was not present, having taken the couple’s 16-year-old twins to baseball practice earlier that morning.

Due to extensive burns, the coroner was initially unable to determine how Gaw-Gonzalo died. However, when an autopsy later revealed signs of physical trauma, homicide detectives opened a murder investigation, according to law enforcement officials.

Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spent months gathering evidence, eventually serving over two dozen search warrants as they pieced together suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire. Investigators concluded the blaze appeared to be an attempt to destroy evidence of a violent crime.

Documents show Gaw-Gonzalo had filed for divorce from Lai just five months before her death—the second time she sought to end their marriage, with a previous filing in 2003. Neighbors confirmed that their relationship was undergoing renewed tension as the pair navigated custody and property matters.

Lai was arrested on July 3 following the conclusion of the homicide investigation. Arraigned on charges of murder and arson, he has pleaded not guilty and is being held in custody on $2.25 million bail. His next appearance in Los Angeles County court is scheduled for Aug. 12.

The death of Gaw-Gonzalo, a respected physician and business leader in the community, has prompted an outpouring of grief and shock among colleagues and neighbors. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, and court documents indicate that the investigation remains ongoing.

Prosecutors said they will pursue full accountability in the case, describing Dr. Gaw-Gonzalo’s death as a senseless tragedy. Lai remains behind bars as proceedings advance.