Mother And Autistic Son Found Dead After Fire, Apparent Home Invasion
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A mother and her autistic son were killed in an apparent home invasion Thursday afternoon, and their bodies were found after a fire inside their West Elsdon neighborhood home.
Firefighters found 48-year-old Maria Concepcion Herrera and her 22-year-old son Carlos Herrera dead in their home in the 3600 block of West 55th Place around 2:50 p.m., after someone reported a couch on fire at the home. There also had been a report of a possible explosion, but that report was unfounded.
The mother had been bound and gagged. Her son, who was autistic, had been stabbed.
As neighbors gathered at the scene, distraught family members rushed over after hearing the news.
"They were a very family-oriented family; very close," said the woman's sister-in-law, also named Maria Herrera.
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She said she learned of the deaths from a friend on Facebook.
"Somebody passing by knew my brother-in-law lived here, and said do you know something happened? And I said no, what's going on? They said 'I think a tragedy happened at your brother-in-law's house.' Then after that, I just left work, and came here," she said.
Herrera said the family had lived at the home for more than 20 years.
Several people left flowers and candles outside the home as a makeshift memorial to the victims.
Police said the crime might have started as a home invasion, and the suspects might have set the fire to cover up evidence.
"I wish I knew more, but they're not telling us anything yet," Maria Herrera said.
Relatives said the woman's husband was at work at the time of the fire, and an 8-year-old son was at school.
