Green Valley Ranch Deadly House Fire: 3 Teens Arrested

Denver CO

27 January, 2021

4:19 PM

Description

DENVER, CO — Three boys are accused of starting a fire in August that killed five family members in a home in Denver's Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, police said Wednesday. The three teenagers — two 16 year olds and a 15 year old — were arrested in Jefferson County, Denver Police Department Chief Paul Pazen said in a news conference Wednesday. The three boys are each charged with first-degree murder, arson and burglary, among other charges, Pazen said. "This is one of the most heinous crimes we've ever witnessed in our city ... it struck me to the core," Mayor Michael Hancock said during the news conference. Some civil rights organizations called on Denver police to launch a hate crime investigation; however, evidence to date does not show the crime was bias-motivated, Pazen said. A motive for the arson was not released to protect the integrity of the investigation, the chief said. The fire broke out Aug. 5 in a home at 5312 North Truckee Street, and five members of a Senegalese-American Muslim family died. The case is being investigated as a homicide. A police officer saw the fire and called fire crews around 2:40 a.m. The officer tried to rescue people inside the home, but was pushed back by the heat, fire officials said. When firefighters arrived, the home was engulfed in flames. Three people jumped from the second story, but the five family members remained inside the home and died, the Denver Fire Department said. The victims were identified as parents Djibril and Adja Diol, their 3-year-old daughter Kadidia, Hassan Diol and her baby daughter Hawa Beye. Don't miss the latest news updates in Denver: Free Denver Patch Newsletters and Email Alerts | Facebook | Twitter A fundraiser was launched to help pay for a memorial service and support the remaining family members. "Djiby, his wife, his sister, his daughter and his niece all passed away. Djiby a cared for his family, his brothers and parents," a post on the fundraising page read. "Djiby a young man with a promising future in Civil Engineering has left behind a community that he so deeply loved and cared for. We are saddened by the loss of a loving Dad, a nurturing husband, and a caring brother to all of us." Police released surveillance images of three masked suspects in September and increased the reward to more than $40,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case. GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.