Turlock Uncle Charged With Murder After Toddler Dies in Arson Fire

The boy had been in his uncle's care for just over an hour. His father was at work, his mother was running an errand, and 29-year-old Richard Regalado, who shared the Expedition Drive home with his nephew, had watched the toddler before. Sometime before 9:20 a.m. on April 1, investigators say, Regalado set the house on fire and ran.

Turlock firefighters arrived to a residence fully engulfed, the blaze having already pushed into the attic. Once they brought the fire under control, crews found the 2-year-old's body in a bedroom. Turlock Police Department spokesperson Dominique Roton laid out the sequence plainly: "And then once the fire was under control, that's when they unfortunately discovered the body of the two-year-old."

Witnesses in the neighborhood had seen a man leave the home just before the fire intensified, giving investigators the thread they needed. Police located Regalado and detained him. The charge rationale from Roton was equally direct: "The fact of the matter is, the child was in his care, the fire happened, the child is dead. So, his actions led to the murder charge."

Regalado was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on three counts: murder, aggravated arson, and child abuse causing death. He remained in custody as of Thursday. The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office confirmed the case is still under review, and the county coroner had not yet released the child's identity pending autopsy and toxicology results.

Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden addressed what the call meant for the officers and firefighters who worked the scene: "This is the kind of call that stays with you. It impacts everyone who responded. A two-year-old child lost their life in a way no child ever should. Our hearts are with the family, and we will do everything we can to ensure accountability."

More than a dozen neighbors gathered in silent vigil outside the home as Stanislaus County Sheriff Coroner's Office personnel removed the boy's body from the wreckage. A small memorial took shape at the residence in the hours that followed. Roton spoke directly to what the parents were facing: "The parents are just as much the victims in this, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers."

For the true-crime community, the case hits every point of sustained interest: a familial perpetrator with established caregiving access, arson as a deliberate weapon rather than a secondary element, and a prosecution path that will hinge on proving intent through forensic fire analysis, digital records, and witness testimony. The DA's office will present charges once evidence review is complete.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Giovacchini at 209-668-6539.