Missing Woman ID'd In Deadly Vallejo House Fire; Arrest Made: PD

VALLEJO, CA — A body found in a Vallejo house fire last week has been identified as a woman reported missing by her family; and the father of her three children is suspected of killing her, Vallejo police said Wednesday. Kimberlon Janiene Benard, 37, was reported missing at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 29 by family members after not hearing from her since the prior day, Tuesday, May 28, according to Vallejo police Lt. Fabio Rodriguez.

At 11 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, two detectives went to Benard's residence at 156 Sawyer St. in Vallejo and found the garage of the residence fully engulfed in flames.

Once Vallejo firefighters extinguished the blaze, a deceased body was found in the garage.

"The body found in the garage was later identified as Benard, and the case was ruled a murder," Rodriguez said. "The suspect in the murder was identified as the father of Benard's children, Sherwood [Lamar] Ruffin, a 39-year-old, Vallejo resident. Both Benard and Ruffin lived at 156 Sawyer."

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A warrant was issued for Ruffin's arrest on suspicion of murder, and he was arrested Tuesday morning. Ruffin was taken into custody at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Broadway and West MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland by law enforcement personnel with the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County FBI Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, Rodriguez said.

According to jail records, Ruffin, who turned 40 years old Wednesday, was being held without bail pending a court arraignment scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police believe Ruffin was driving Benard's car, a silver 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan with California license plate number 4YUR901. The minivan was still missing Wednesday; anyone who sees the vehicle is asked to contact the nearest law enforcement agency.

The Vallejo Police Department is also asking anyone with information pertinent to the investigation to call Detective Scott Yates at 707-648-4533 or Detective Craig Long at 707-648-4514.