Four adults and three children were found dead in a Minnesota home Saturday night in a suspected gas poisoning accident said to have happened as they slept.
Although police have not confirmed their identities or cause of death, Noticias Digital – Honduras reported that Belin Humberto Hernandez, Elder Noah Hernandez, Breylin Favela Hernandez, Mike Bradley Hernandez, Earliest Mariela, Marleny Door and Marbeli Hernandez all died in their sleep.
The family – comprising a mom, dad, three kids, an aunt and a niece – are said to have succumbed to gas poisoning, although further details about the tragedy have yet to emerge.
Authorities did, however, state there were no signs of violence or forced entry at the Hernandez-Pinto family’s Moorhead home, according to KVRR.
They also said there are no known threats to the community and officials are not actively seeking any suspects.
Police responded to the Hernandez-Pinto family home, located in 4400 block of 13th Street South, shortly before 8pm Saturday after relatives conducting a welfare check found their bodies.
Preliminary investigation revealed that neighbors hadn’t seen the family since Friday.
Local police called in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to help process the scene. Investigators did not provide any information about the cause of death but noted that the bodies were taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies.
Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson released a statement to the TV station confirming the tragedy: ‘This is an absolute horrible tragedy, made even more poignant since it is close to the holidays. My heart aches for the family and friends who received this devastating news over the weekend.
‘Our community mourns with them during this heartbreaking time. Please know there is no threat to the community and the Moorhead Police Department, with the assistance from the Moorhead Fire Department, are investigating.’
Those who knew the family said the children would often play at a nearby park with other kids in the community.
One Moorhead resident also shared that neighborhood kids would gather at the Hernandez-Pinto family home to play in an inflatable bouncy house that they reportedly owned.
While their exact ages remain unknown at this time, the children are said to have attended S.G. Reinertsen Elementary School and Moorhead High School.
The school district will be forming a crisis response team to help the academic community deal with the tragedy.
