CLEVELAND — Cleveland police have made an arrest in a quadruple homicide of two adults and two children in Slavic Village on Tuesday.
Police have not identified the man. The man has been booked for aggravated murder. More details about the man's arrest are expected during a news conference Thursday at 1 p.m.
Authorities released the identities of the woman and two children found dead inside of the home on East 63rd Street where a man was found shot to death. Their deaths have been ruled as homicides by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office.
Police and EMS responded at around 8 a.m. to an open lot next to 3708 East 63rd Street, where David Cousin Jr., 35, was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
Officers canvassed the area where Cousin was found, looking for witnesses to the shooting.
Authorities forced entry into a nearby home where they could see two children through a window. Officers entered through a window and found two children, a 2-year-old girl identified as Aubree Stone and a 6-year-old boy identified by the medical examiner as Armond Johnson Jr.
A 25-year-old woman identified as Takeyra Collins was also found dead inside the same home on East 63rd Street. According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, Collins died from multiple gunshot wounds to the back and stomach.
On scene, police learned that the 2-year-old girl and 6-year-old boy died from carbon monoxide smoke inhalation, according to the medical examiner's office. There was a smell of smoke coming from inside. There was evidence of arson on scene, including the discovery of accelerants.
The investigation is still early on and authorities are working to notify the next-of-kin.
Chief Calvin Williams called this a "heinous" crime during a news conference Tuesday. Williams urged anyone with information to call the homicide unit at (216) 623-5464. He also said people could call 911 if they knew of an immediate person of interest or, if they wanted to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 25-CRIME.
"You can’t get any more horrific than when you have young children who get involved in a homicide like this," Ward 12 Councilman Tony Brancatelli said.
Brancatelli described the neighborhood as one that was close, with neighbors engaged with one another and a strong block club.
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