Seven relatives found dead in a Minnesota home over the weekend died from carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said Wednesday.
The family members, who emigrated from Honduras, were discovered inside bedrooms at their home in south Moorhead on Saturday night from what investigators say was likely accidental exposure to the poisonous gas.
Blood samples of the victims taken by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office showed a lethal level of carbon monoxide.
“There’s no indication of any kind of criminal activity,” Police Chief Shannon Monroe said at a Wednesday press conference.
“Unless we find something else yet later in the investigation, right now it’s pointing toward some type of accidental situation.”
Investigators are eyeing either the home’s furnace or a van in the garage as the source of the gas. The furnace is located in a separate room in the garage.
Investigators have not found any evidence of criminal activity. APAuthorities said a carbon monoxide detector that was once inside the garage had been replaced with a smoke-only detector.
The victims included parents Belin Hernandez, 37 and Marleny Pinto, 34 – and their three children, Breylin Hernandez, 16, Mike Hernandez, 7, and Marbely Hernandez, 5.
Belin’s 32-year-old brother, Eldor Hernandez Castillo, and Pinto’s niece, Mariela Guzman Pinto, 19, also died.
With Post wires
