Marion County, Florida family of 4 found dead at their Ocala home in suspected carbon monoxide poisoning as faulty detector eyed. Victims identified as Yohan Sanchez, 33, his wife, Rebeca Santos, 37, and their two children, Michael Melendez, 15 and Samuel Sanchez, 2.
Four individuals found dead in a home in Marion County, Florida over the weekend from what is likely believed to be the result of carbon monoxide poisoning have been confirmed to be that of a married couple and their two young children.
Notice of the tragedy came after deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office stated being called to a home on Banyan Track Way, near Southeast 58th Avenue in Ocala, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Friday for a well-being check.
Upon arriving at the scene, they found the bodies of two adults and two children inside the residence.
What caused tragic Marion County carbon monoxide family poisoning?
Come Monday, the Marion County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identities of the victims as Yohan Sanchez, 33, wife, Rebeca Santos, 37, and their two children, Michael Melendez, 15 and Samuel Sanchez, 2.
While a pending autopsy had yet to officially confirm the family’s cause of death, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office stated that carbon monoxide poisoning being the likely cause of the family’s death. The sheriff’s office confirmed that no foul play is suspected, labeling the incident as a tragic accident.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, a GoFundMe was created by Yohan Sanchez’s sister in a bid to help cover funeral expenses and support the family after the loss. A second GoFundMe was created to take the bodies back to Boston.
Neighbors and family left grieving and perplexed
In the aftermath of their deaths, one neighbor told WESH that the entire neighborhood is devastated by the tragedy, with the young family only recently moving into the neighborhood.
‘This is a loving community,’ local resident, Alexander James told the outlet, remembering the family as ‘real nice people’ who had lived in the house for about 10 months.
While adding, ‘This house has been here maybe 10 years and I have known several people that lived there but I have never heard of anything other than that it was nice home, this is new to me; I’m very concerned what’s going on and what happened.’
Authorities to date have yet to state what may have caused the family to succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning.
What is carbon monoxide poisoning?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless and colorless gas that ‘kills without warning,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 400 people are killed each year from unintentional CO poisoning.
‘Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning. It claims the lives of hundreds of people every year and makes thousands more ill.
‘Many household items including gas- and oil-burning furnaces, portable generators, and charcoal grills produce this poison gas,’ reads the CDC’s website.
CO detectors inside the home are one of the best resources to help be alerted to CO gas build-up in the home. It remained unclear if the family had a CO detector installed or whether the heating installation leaked amid ongoing sudden cold snap in the United States, particularly in Florida unaccustomed to cold fronts.
