Early on Wednesday morning in New Orleans, three children perished in a house fire that was allegedly started by their father after what appeared to be a domestic disagreement, according to authorities.
According to New Orleans Deputy Superintendent Ryan Lubrano, the father, Joseph Washington Sr., 29, was found after a manhunt on Wednesday and is accused of several crimes, including second-degree murder. Police said the mother of the children contacted police at 11:55 p.m. local time and reported that she was at work but that the children’s father had threatened to set their home on fire.
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According to local media, the mother can be heard on the 911 call’s audio requesting that the dispatcher hurry up because someone is on the phone threatening to set the house on fire. A fire was reported shortly after the 911 call, according to authorities. \
A day after the fire that killed his three children, ages 8, 5, and 3, Joseph Washington Sr., 29, was detained in New Orleans. According to the police, the 3-year-old was discovered dead in the burned-out house, while the 8-year-old and 5-year-old were rescued but later passed away in a hospital. According to authorities, Washington is charged with three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, and one act of aggravated arson.
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The deaths were described by a police spokesperson as “tragic and senseless” and “horrific.”