Dec. 26—The Howard County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to locate a person of interest in connection to a deadly Christmas Day house fire.

Police say they are searching for Curtis L. Freeman, 44, in relation to the fire. Freeman is homeless and is being described by police as a “person of interest.”

Anyone with information on Freeman’s whereabouts, can contact Howard County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ernest Shirey at 765-614-3449 or the Howard County Dispatch Center at 765-457-1105.

An unidentified person died in a house fire at approximately 12:30 p.m. Monday at a residence in the 3000 block of East 330 South in the unincorporated community of Center, according to a sheriff’s office press release.

First responders were dispatched to the house after a caller reported seeing smoke coming out of the house. Firefighters with the Kokomo Fire Department extinguished the fire but also found a dead person in the house.

Police have not yet publicly identified the person found dead in the house, pending positive identification and notification of family. An autopsy with the Howard County Coroner’s Office has been scheduled.