Posted on 07/23/2007 2:12:41 PM PDT by Andonius_99
CHESHIRE, Conn. -- A fire in Cheshire that killed three people resulted from an apparent home invasion robbery early Monday morning.
Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Leon Collins reported firefighters remained at the scene as of noon at a house in the 300 block of Sorgum Mill Drive.
Eyewitness News learned that three people died in the fire, two of whom were identified only as females.
Neighbors said that Dr. William Petit Jr. lived in the home with his wife, Jennifer, a nurse at Cheshire Academy; daughter, Halley, who was about 17 years old and had recently graduated from Cheshire Academy; and daughter Michaela, who was about to enter the eighth grade at Cheshire Academy, the Meriden Record-Journal reported. Collins said an intense fire caused extensive damage inside the house and the charred remains of the fire could be seen in the upstairs window.
Investigators said they believe a home invasion robbery took place at about 3 a.m. at a home and the assailants set the house on fire before leaving the scene.
Cheshire police said they learned of a robbery from one of the victims, who said they were held hostage.
State and Cheshire police said that a "suspicious incident" occurred at a bank and said a bank employee alerted authorities, but did not elaborate.
Police said officers arrested two people before they were able to escape the neighborhood.
"(They were) apprehended down the street. When they left, they apparently set the house ablaze," Cheshire police Lt. Jay Markella said.
Two suspects were fleeing the home when police arrived. Police said the suspects rammed one cruiser, went down the street and smashed into two others. The two suspects were arrested.
Three people inside the home died and St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury told Eyewitness News Monday afternoon that Petit was being treated at the hospital and is listed in stable condition.
Police have not released the names of the people in custody.
Petit is the medical director of the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at The Hospital of Central Connecticut.
"All of us at the Hospital of Central Connecticut are shocked and saddened by these tragic events," said the President of the hospital in a written statement Monday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Petit as he attempts to recover from this unfathomable occurrence. We cannot express the depth of our sorrow."
The medical examiner's office told Eyewitness News that autopsies are planned for Tuesday.
The state police major crimes unit has responded to the scene to assist in the investigation.
Here’s another article...it was mom and the two daughters who died, according to this. Dad is critical, but stable....still not good...
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=5503047
The article says three victims died, two of whom are female, but it sounds as though the father is still alive. Who is dead, and who is the male that was killed? What kind of bank employee works in the middle of the night?
Thanks, that cleared it up a lot. Is there a reason that you didn’t post the article?
I just want to know if the perpetrators were members of any minority. Most of the home invasions that I’ve read about on the west coast have involved Asian gangs.
“What kind of bank employee works in the middle of the night?”
My bank opens at 8:30am. Perhaps theirs did, also.
Read the article at post #21 for the times. This just happened this morning even though they invaded the home at 3am. That isn’t when they went to the bank.
“Is there a reason that you didn’t post the article?”
Not sure what you mean.
There was a series of crimes where gangs invaded the home of a bank MANAGER..Held the family hostage while one drve him to the bank..to get a lot of cash from the vault..This is very different..It’s not the type of neighborhood where this happens. Thugs decide to drive aorudn the middel of the night, break into a hoem at randfom, kill most of the family, then sit around a few hours, then take one eprson tot he bank to get some cash?...No way..sorry..it doesn’t pass the smell test..
To all commenters.
I happen to know Dr. Petit. He was my mom’s doc for many years. He is a kind a caring man. Please pray for him and for his beautiful family.
Praying....how sad...
Ken,
You have to get with it! These horrific crimes are a happenin’
Perhaps it’s because the internet lets us see everything, or because crime is prevelant.....whatever....
OMG! I read that thread early today...I hope we see who the perps are in this case...what creeps..may they burn in hell!
Actually, I have to stop watching CSI...(LOL)
Although I’m sure most people have heard of this by now. It certainly is the top story currently running state-wide, and it’s even received some national attention. It’s one of the top stories at cnn.com as well, I noticed.
“Actually, I have to stop watching CSI...(LOL)”
I’m embarassed to say I’ve never seen one episode. If I watch TV, I tend to watch Dateline, 20/20, 60 minutes, FOX news, etc.
We’ll see if it continues to get national attention once the “background” of the killers is known. Or if it becomes like the Dec 2000 Wichita case and others like it, I don’t think anyone will be surprised. If the killers were illegals then I suppose you can look for the lefties, like the mayor of New Haven, to come forward with sympathetic statements for illegals, and not the victims. There will be calls to oppose racial profiling and all the usual bull.
It is a very bizarre story in any case. If the scumbags’ motive was to rob the bank then why did they break in at 3 AM? Maybe they were just incredibly dumb, not realizing the longer they hung around the greater the chance they would be caught. Then they thought they could escape by ramming police cars? Morons.
The family must have gone through hell for 6 hours. If it turns out the women were not sexually assaulted I would be surprised. And the younger daughter was only 11?? That there isn’t an angry mob ready to storm the court house today shows our society is just too accepting of this sort of crime. In any case, I could bet money also that it turns out the killers had previous incidents of violent crime and should have been locked up a lot longer.
I don't disagree at all. Once the men are arraigned in court today, more will be known. It really is a sad, tragic story.
A sad sign of the evil times we live in.
Prayers for this Dr., and for all of the loved ones of his murdered wife and daughters.
Two comments
I find it hard to believe this is these perps FIRST TIME. There is probably a whole history of misery these low-lifes have left CT households with.
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