43-year-old woman ID’d as victim of fatal Crystal Lake house fire

A 43-year-old woman has been identified as the person who was found dead after a fire that broke out in a single-family home last week in Crystal Lake, officials report.

Christie Velez was identified by the McHenry County Coroner’s Office Tuesday. The cause of death and toxicology report is still pending, according to the coroner’s office.

According to a news release from the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department, firefighters were called at 3:22 p.m. March 23 to the 0-100 block of Della Street for the report of smoke coming from a single-family home.

On arrival, fire crews found smoky conditions and a small fire inside, according to the release. The victim was found in the area of the fire, which was quickly put out. The scene was secured for fire and law enforcement investigations, according to the release.

The investigation is still ongoing by the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department.