‘He trapped the kids in the house’: Man in coma under police guard
Police are waiting to charge a 28-year-old with a domestic-violence-related multiple homicide after flames engulfed a home in Sydney’s west early Sunday morning, killing three young children and injuring four more.
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A horrific scene unfolded on Sunday in western Sydney as a house fire engulfed a Lalor Park home while seven children, a woman and a man were trapped inside.
Emergency services arrived at the Freeman Street house at 1am, responding to calls from neighbours that a massive house fire had broken out.
A group of people were inside the house, including a man, a woman, and seven children.
Police allege that the 28-year-old man “frustrated” police attempts to get inside the property and that the man acted “with the intention of keeping the kids inside the premises”, according to NSW Police Homicide Squad Superintendent Danny Doherty.
Three of the children – two boys aged two and four and a 10-month-old girl – were killed in the blaze, while a 29-year-old woman, a nine-year-old girl and three boys aged 11, seven and six were taken to hospital in a stable condition.
“We’re treating this as a domestic-related multiple homicide,” Superintendent Doherty told media.
“The 28-year-old man is currently under police guard in hospital in an induced coma.”
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Police try to save children trapped inside burning Lalor Park house
A neighbour worked with police to try to free the children from the home.
“Police approached, and a neighbour,” Acting Superintendent Jason Pietruszka said.
“They then had to bring the offender under arrest, they suffered various injuries as a result and that was done so in a manner that was quite extraordinary.
“The neighbour that did try to assist helped further lives from being lost.”
RELATED: Tributes flow for Perth mum killed in house fire
After entering the home, first responders pulled two little boys out of the burning house, but tragically they died at the scene.
After the fire was extinguished, the body of a 10-month-old girl was found inside the house.
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The scenes that followed the fire were heartbreaking.
“Just sitting there watching a little child sitting on a police constable’s lap, or she’s comforting while paramedics are providing treatment,” Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said.
“Firefighters are handing out our Care Bears, our little teddy bears, to try and give them that little bit of comfort.”
RELATED: ‘He was wailing’: Dad suspected of setting house on fire
On Sunday, homicide detectives investigated the scene as the 28-year-old man remained in hospital under police guard.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Originally published as ‘He trapped the kids in the house’: Man in coma under police guard
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