Three teenagers were arrested in connection with a house fire in August that killed five members of a Colorado family.
Two 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old were arrested at their homes on Wednesday, Denver police said in a press release. The names of the three boys were not released because of their age, but the suspects “know each other,” according to the statement. They are not related.
Teenagers face a total of 28 charges, including first-degree murder, first-degree criminal attempt to commit murder, first-degree arson, first-degree assault and first-degree theft.
The arrests came more than five months after a fire on August 5 killed Djibril Diol, 29, and Adja Diol, 23, and his 2-year-old daughter, Khadija, as well as Djibril’s sister, Hassan Diol, 25, and his son and daughter, Hawa Baye, according to NBC News affiliate KUSA. Others escaped injured by jumping from the second floor.
The victims were members of the Senegalese community in Denver, generating calls from local and national Muslim leaders for the police to investigate the fire as a hate crime.
On Wednesday, the authorities said that “the investigators found no evidence to indicate that this crime was motivated by prejudice. Due to the ongoing investigation, the police did not disclose the reason or any other details of the case, including how they identified the teenagers as suspects.
Days after the fire, police released a surveillance photo of three people in sweatshirts and face masks that authorities suspected had started the fire. Rewards were offered for information leading to arrests. It was not clear on Thursday whether anyone had tipped off the case.
“Our homicide team, along with our partners from the ATF, the United States Secret Service and the Denver Fire Department, worked tirelessly to identify those responsible for this horrible crime,” said Chief Police Officer Paul M. Pazen. in the note.
At a press conference announcing the arrests, he added: “This was an investigation as complex as I have known in my entire career. They did an incredible job. I cannot reveal the details. This is very sensitive information because a successful process is essential in this case. “
