Mother and young son found dead in Modiin house fire; police suspect murder-suicide
First responders find the two unconscious in locked apartment with a rag placed under the door; police suspect woman lit fire, then stabbed herself after killing her son
A mother and her young son were found dead Sunday after a fire erupted in their home in the city of Modiin, in what police were investigating as a murder-suicide.
The 51-year-old mother and her 13-year-old child were found unconscious by firefighters and police with severe burns in an apartment that had been locked from the inside.
“The picture that emerged in the apartment was a shocking one,” said Central District Police Commander Amir Hetzroni at the scene of the fire. “A mother and son, 51 and 13, who were burned.”
“At first glance, a stab wound was also found on the woman’s chest,” Hetzroni told the press. The 13-year-old was found without stab wounds, Hebrew outlets reported.
Police are reportedly probing whether the mother killed her young son, set fire to the apartment and then stabbed herself.
After reaching the scene of the fire Sunday morning, firefighters extricated the two from the smoke-filled home, but both were soon pronounced dead by paramedics.
First responders discovered that a rag had been placed under the door to prevent smoke from escaping, Ynet reported.
Officers are still working to rule out all other possibilities, Hetzroni added, and have contacted the family’s relatives to determine the circumstances of the incident.
According to the district chief, police had received no past complaints regarding the family.