Authorities announced on Wednesday a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the person responsible for setting fire to a house in Mayfield Heights that killed a mother and her 8-year-old daughter.
According to the Division of State Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau, crews responded to a home in the 1500 block of Longwood Road in Mayfield Heights on Tuesday when a fire broke at the home.
The fire was ruled an arson, authorities said.
The victims of the fire were later identified as Rebecca Pletnewski, 41, and her daughter, Olivia Schneider, 8.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled their deaths as a homicide. According to the medical examiner's office, the mother died from "cervical compression with sharp force injuries." Following the fire, the daughter was transported to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. The daughter's cause of death is smoke inhalation.
A $5,000 reward has been offered by the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call 1-800-589-2728.
