Family of four killed in mystery fire now being investigated as homicide, Texas cops say

A family of four was found dead inside their Texas home after a mysterious house fire, and now investigators believe they may have been killed, outlets reported.

On the morning of March 8, firefighters and police responded to the scene on San Antonio’s south side and arrived to find a home engulfed in flames, officials told WOAI.

Police said four people were found dead: 44-year-old Alfredo Pescador, 40-year-old Blanca Pescador, 19-year-old Leslie Pescador and a 13-year-old boy who was not publicly identified because they’re a juvenile.

The victims were all family members, a husband and wife and their two children, KENS reported.

Authorities have revealed little about the fire since it happened, but soon after, they announced they were carrying out a homicide investigation.

At least one of the victims, Leslie Pescador, died from a gunshot wound, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office told WOAI.

“Blanca was a loving and amazing mom who her entire world revolved around her kids and (being) a good wife,” her family wrote on a Gofundme page.

Leslie was an honors student at a local college, and her younger brother was an “amazing kid,” family said. “Only god knows why things had to happen this way.”

Witnesses reported hearing an explosion from the home as it burned, with one neighbor saying “it was a big enough explosion to shake the whole house,” the San Antonio Express-News reported.

The family was supposed to go to El Paso earlier in the week for a “family emergency,” but they never left, the neighbor told the newspaper.

This story was originally published March 14, 2024 at 2:02 PM.