NEW ORLEANS — Three children died in a house fire in New Orleans East just after midnight Wednesday and the NOPD's Child Abuse Unit is investigating the incident as a multiple homicide investigation.
The fire was reported just after midnight in the 4900 block of America Street.
According to investigators, at about 11:55 p.m., the mother of the three children called 911 stating that their father intended to burn the house down. Moments later, another call came in about a house fire at that location.
The children's mother was reportedly on her way to the residence and was not there yet when the fire started.
RING camera video obtained by WWL-TV shows the fire starting in the back of the home and a man walking away from the home.
According to the New Orleans Fire Department, multiple fire units were sent to the location, and the firefighters were told that three children were unaccounted for and possibly inside.
Firefighters quickly found two unresponsive children – a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy were rescued from the home by firefighters but died at the hospital about an hour later.
One child was found a few feet from the front door and the other was found between the kitchen and the front room.
Firefighters continued to search for a third child as a second alarm was sounded to prevent the fire from spreading to buildings on both sides. A third child was found near the center of the home and was pronounced dead on the scene.
Shortly after 11 a.m., Gretna Police pulled a car from the Mississippi River that they believe is connected to the fatal house fire. WWL-TV's Alyssa Curtis reported there was no information on whether or not a person was found in the car, but that the vehicle has been released to the NOPD.
The New Orleans Police Department said the incident was being investigated as a homicide, though no initial details were given as to why it was believed to be a homicide. The fire department said it was still investigating the cause.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call NOPD's Child Abuse Unit at (504) 658-5267 or Crimestoppers anonymously at (504) 822-1111.
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