Police: 3 Bodies, Including Mother And Son, Found At Scene Of Philly Blaze
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local family has questions for the Philadelphia Fire Department after the bodies of three of their loved ones were found three days after a house fire in North Philadelphia.
Losing a loved one is tough. Losing three is almost unbearable.
On Friday night, the bodies of 25-year-old Alita Johnson, 4-year-old Haashim Johnson and 64-year-old Anthony Mcouellem were discovered inside a bathroom bathtub on the third floor of a fire-ravaged home on North 21st Street.
"She was holding the baby and the stepdad was holding her," said Trinell Cephas, who is related to the victims.
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The fire happened Wednesday morning, but the three bodies weren't discovered by authorities until Friday night.
"I asked them, 'How did y'all miss that?" said Trinell.
Trinell and her daughter say they had to beg police and fire officials to go back and do a second search to find Anthony, Alita, and her son.
"If I would have never been on them about going back, my cousins and them would have still been in that house," said Laleeha Cephas, who's also a relative.
"If I am telling y'all, my cousin and them are missing in that house is burnt down and y'all are still telling me you're not going back there. To find my family? That's cold," Cephas added.
On Saturday night, a vigil was held outside the building where the three were eventually found.
So many family and friends can't help but wonder how long were the three alive in this building?
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"If they would've checked and looked in there that same night, they would've found them that same night and they possibly could have been alive," said Trinell.
The family is waiting for an autopsy report to tell him exactly how long the relatives were alive after the fire started.
A GoFundMe has been started to help the family with funeral expenses. Donate by CLICKING HERE.