Suspicious Arlington Fire Set To Cover Stabbing
Updated March 21, 2011 @ 9:25 p.m.
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - An Arlington woman's death has been determined to have been caused by multiple stab wounds, and not from a fire at her apartment that killed her infant son.
Arlington police said Monday that the deaths are being treated as homicides. Police spokeswoman Tiara Richard said, "As firefighters pulled the female victim from the apartment building, they noticed she had injuries that weren't consistent with the fire itself, and so those injuries were suspicious in nature."
Family members identified the dead as 26-year-old Mechelle Gandy and her 1-year-old son, Asher. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office confirmed their identities. Late Monday night, they said the cause of death was multiple stab wounds, ruling her death a homicide.
A police statement said that the fire was reported around 10:15 p.m. Sunday at a bottom-floor apartment unit in the 2200 block of Presidents Corner. Firefighters pulled Gandy out of the burning apartment. She later died. Her baby was found dead in the home.
Her grandfather, Donald Gandy, said that she had only recently moved into the apartment complex after getting a new job.
Police initially said that the baby was a girl, but Richard later Monday updated information on the victims to say that the infant who died was a boy.
Police at the apartment complex Monday morning towed away a white car believed to be related to the investigation. Authorities have not commented on the vehicle.
A vigil was held at the apartment for Gandy and her son Monday night. Arlington police are asking anyone with information on the case to contact them.
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