Family found dead after upstate New York house fire were not killed by the flames, police say

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — A family of four found dead in the basement of a smoldering upstate New York home appear to have been killed by something other than the fire and their deaths are being investigated as homicides, police said Monday.

Firefighters found the bodies of two adults, a 2-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl while putting out multiple blazes early Saturday in the home in Irondequoit, New York, officials said. No arrests have been made.

“This was a horrific scene,” Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters said. “In almost 32 years doing this job, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“When you murder innocent children, there’s no excuse for it,” the police chief said, vowing to “bring these monsters to justice.”

Police identified the victims as Famime Ubaldo, 30; Marangely Moreno-Santiago, 26; Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno, 4; and Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno, 2. They moved into the home about two or three years ago, Peters said.

Peters said investigators were awaiting autopsy results and the medical examiner's determination on the cause of death.

“Due to the condition of the bodies, it was readily apparent that this was going to be a homicide investigation,” Peters said.

Irondequoit Fire Chief Shane Metcalf said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester, neighbors that city to the north and east. Part of the town touches Lake Ontario.