Suspect charged with murder after body found at scene of Duncanville house fire, family demands answers

DUNCANVILLE – On Monday morning, Duncanville firefighters responded to an apartment on Oriole Blvd. for a fire, only to find Regina Phillips inside with a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Now 63-year-old James Rias has been charged with murder.

“I wish I would have saved her, I wish she would have called me,” said Jasmine Williams, Regina Phillips’ daughter.

Regina Phillips’ family cannot understand how anyone could take the life of a woman who meant so much to so many people.

“My mom was my everything and I hurt, my heart hurt,” Williams said.

“It’s a great loss that she caused that impacted so many lives,” said Shurretta Metcalf, Phillips’ niece.

“He did exactly what he wanted to do, he hurt her, killed her, took her away from us, she was all we had, now she was gone,” Williams said.

Police say Phillips and Rias lived together for years, something her family denies.

Officers were called to the home several times to report verbal arguments between the two; once in March and again on May 5, the day before Phillips was found dead. However, no one has been charged with a crime for any of these calls.

“My mom always called me and told me she called the law, they still let him, they still let him stay, it’s like they don’t care and they’re waiting for something to happen, for something “It’s too late,” she told Williams. “If she tells you someone has a gun, why don’t you force them to leave? I don’t understand why you all didn’t help her.”

Duncanville police said they responded to each call, investigated and determined no crime was committed in those calls.

The suspect, James Rias, was arrested on Monday for traffic violations, but on Tuesday officers obtained a warrant for his arrest on murder charges. Rias is being held in the Dallas County Jail on a $1 million bond.