A family of 7 was found dead in their home on Saturday, December 18 night in Minnesota. The family of a mom, dad, three kids, an aunt, and a niece suffocated in their sleep in a suspected gas poisoning accident. According to Noticias Digital-Honduras, the deceased were identified as Belin Humberto Hernandez, Elder Noah Hernandez, Breylin Favela Hernandez, Mike Bradley Hernandez, Earliest Mariela, Marleny Door, and Marbeli Hernandez. Police, however, have not confirmed the identities of the victims.
According to KVRR, authorities noted that there were no signs of violence or forced entry at the Hernandez-Pinto family's home in Moorhead. Authorities are not looking for any suspects in the case and also denied the possibility of any immediate threats to the community as of now.
Officer responded to requests of a welfare check by the neighbors at the Hernandez-Pinto family home in 4400 block of 13th Street South, shortly before 8 pm on Saturday. The neighbors hadn't seen a single member of the family since Friday. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to help process the scene.
'Absolute horrible tragedy'
Investigators are yet to establish a cause of death pending the result of the autopsy. The bodies were taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office for autopsies. Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson called the incident an 'absolute horrible tragedy' in a statement to the TV station. "My heart aches for the family and friends who received this devastating news over the weekend," she said. The Mayor also added that there is no immediate threat to the community and the Moorhead Police Department, with assistance from the Moorhead Fire Department, is carrying the investigation into the incident.
The exact ages of all the deceased family members are not known at the moment. The neighbors who knew the family informed that their children would often play in the nearby park with other kids in the community. Another Moorhead resident noted that kids in the community would gather at the Hernandez-Pinto family home to play in an inflatable bouncy house that they owned. A GoFundMe account has also been set up to help raise money to cover the funeral costs.
