18 October 2023 , 16:04
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A local child services agency is conducting an investigation into a house fire that killed three children after the mother alleged that the father purposely set the home ablaze.
Fire crews were called to a suburban New Orleans street around midnight, ready to battle a fire. According to reports, the children's mother informed the crews that the youngsters were still inside. Rescuers stormed the house, finding two of the children, a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, right near the front door. They were unconscious and later pronounced dead.
The youngest, a three-year-old boy, was found much later, near the centre of the home and declared dead right away. The fire department took time to get to the toddler as the blaze had gotten bigger and those on duty rushed to stop the rush of flames from affecting neighbouring homes.
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The New Orleans Police Department Child Abuse Unit is investigating a house fire that left three children dead (WGNO ABC)Originally reported by WGNO, NOPD officers received a call from the children’s mother near midnight, who said their father had intended to burn the house down. The mother told officers she was not home at the time the flames started but was on her way to the house.
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A second alarm was requested at 12.27am as firefighters fought to keep the blaze from extending to other homes in the area. The fire was brought under control around 12.40am. All of the children were rushed to the hospital, where doctors officially attributed the loss of life to the fire and smoke.
New Orleans Fire Department dispatched crews to the scene, where they learned three children were possibly trapped inside. (WGNO ABC)Unfortunately, this wasn't the only heinous crime in New Orleans yesterday. New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams and his 78-year-old mother were victims of a carjacking, Williams’ office confirmed Tuesday. Williams was helping his mother into a car Monday night in the city’s Lower Garden District when two suspects stole the car, authorities said.
The two suspects are believed to have committed another carjacking later Monday, several blocks away, police said. Nobody was injured. Williams is a former City Council member and a lawyer who did criminal defence work before winning the district attorney post in a 2020 election.
Carjackings and other violent crimes surged in New Orleans during the COVID-19 pandemic but have dropped in recent months. A September report from the watchdog group, the Metropolitan Crime Commission, showed carjackings were down by 44% by the end of August 2023, compared to the same time period in 2022.