Police say family found dead after fire that wasn’t killed by flames

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. (AP) — A family of four found dead in the basement of a smoldering upstate New York home likely died from a cause other than fire, and their deaths are being investigated as homicides, police said Monday.

Firefighters found the bodies of two adults, a 2-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl while extinguishing multiple fires at a home in Irondequoit, New York, early Saturday morning, officials said. No arrests have been made.

“It was a horrific sight,” said Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters. “In almost 32 years of being on the job, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“When innocent children are murdered, there is no justification for it,” the police chief said, vowing to “bring these monsters to justice.”

Police identified the victims as Famime Ubaldo, 30; Marangely Moreno-Santiago, 26; Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno, 4; and Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno, 2. They moved into the home about two or three years ago, Peters said.

Peters said investigators are awaiting autopsy results and the medical examiner’s ruling on the cause of death.

“Given the condition of the bodies, it was obvious this was going to be a homicide investigation,” Peters said.

Irondequoit Fire Chief Shane Metcalf said the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester, borders the city to the north and east. Part of the city abuts Lake Ontario.

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