Arizona parents suspected of child abuse charged after skeletal remains discovered in home fire

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An Arizona couple was arrested Wednesday and are facing several
charges, including concealing human body parts and child abuse
after firefighters responded to a fire at their home and
discovered skeletal remains in the attic.

Just hours earlier, social workers from the Arizona Department
of Child Safety removed two children -- ages 9 and 4 -- from the
house.

Their removal occurred one week after officers from the Phoenix
Police Department got a call from an 11-year-old girl who said
she was home alone. The girl was removed from the house by
social workers from the Arizona Department of Child Safety who
suspected child abuse, police said.

On Wednesday, at around 2:07 p.m., firefighters descended on the
house again after they were called about an ensuing blaze.

The children's father, Rafael Loera, attempted to stop
authorities from coming in the house by telling them the flames
were isolated to the fireplace, but the firefighters entered
anyways, Phoenix fire Capt. Rob McDade told NBC News.

McDade added that if they had arrived at the scene five minutes
later, the entire house would have been engulfed in flames,
resulting in irreparable damage.

After putting out the flames, a department arson dog sniffed
gasoline on the walls and floor, leading firefighters to the
attic where they uncovered the human skeletal remains, McDade
said.

It is unclear how many children lived at the house.

Loera, 56, was arrested and charged with concealing human body
parts, endangerment, child abuse and arson, police said. The
mother, 50-year-old Maribel Loera, was arrested on suspicion of
child abuse.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/arizona-parents-charged-child-
skeletal-remains-home-fire
 

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