A husband, wife and their daughter likely died from carbon monoxide poisoning inside their Northeast Philadelphia home on Thursday, according to police.
Acting Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said firefighters were first called to the home along the 4000 block of Ashburner Street around 1 p.m. for a medical run. When they arrived they found a Philadelphia police officer who was with a woman who needed to be transported to the hospital.
As the medics took the woman to the hospital, investigators received another call for a wellness check at the same home. Officials at St. Albert the Great Catholic School in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, reported that one of their Spanish teachers, 47-year-old Maricel Martinez, hadn't shown up to work for the past three days. Martinez's mother also called police for a wellness check.
Martinez's husband, 56-year-old Jorge Cardona, worked as a cleaner at Springfield Township High School in Montgomery County. Katrina Orama, Cardona's coworker, told NBC10 they were worried about him when he also didn't show up for work.
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"He never does no calls, no shows and we started getting worried because we were all calling him, we're all texting him and like, he's not responding," Orama said.
Firefighters returned to the home and found Martinez, Jorge Cardona and their daughter, Angelina Cardona, 12, unresponsive inside the house.
All three victims were pronounced dead at 1:40 p.m.
Investigators have not released an official cause of death but suspect they all died from carbon monoxide poisoning, police said. A St. Albert spokesperson also said the family died due to complications from a gas leak inside the home.
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“When we arrived on scene yes, there were high levels of carbon monoxide in the house,” Commissioner Murphy said. “And our members with the equipment that they took into the house to do the wellness check, alarms started going off on the meters that they carry in the house, and yes, there were high levels of carbon monoxide in the house.”
Investigators have not yet revealed if the woman who was initially hospitalized is related to the three victims. A family member told Telemundo 62 that the woman is a relative of the victims, however.
During a news conference on Friday, First Deputy Commissioner, Jeffery Thompson said he couldn’t comment on if there were any carbon monoxide detectors in the home.
Victims remembered as "wonderful," "spirited," and "loving"
Martinez’s brother told NBC10 that Angelina Cardona had just celebrated her 12th birthday last Saturday. He also said Martinez had gone to the hospital on Sunday because she was experiencing headaches but later returned to the home.
A neighbor also told NBC10 they saw Jorge Cardona trying to fix something in the chimney prior to his death.
A spokesperson for St. Albert the Great said that in addition to Martinez teaching at the school, Angelina was also a student in the 5th grade.
“We will remember Mrs. Martinez as a gifted Spanish teacher, wonderful mother, and true friend to our community,” the spokesperson wrote. “Angelina, a proud member of this year’s 5th grade class, will be remembered by many here as a bright, spirited, and always smiling student, who had a passion for drawing and reading.”
A spokesperson for the Saint Ephrem Catholic School where Martinez previously taught and her daughter previously attended also provided a statement.
"Maricel Martinez was a wonderful, kind and loving teacher. She was our Spanish teacher for a couple of years and her daughter, Angelina, attended our school with her," the spokesperson wrote. "My thoughts and prayers go out to her family for this great loss."
Orama, meanwhile, described Jorge Cardona as a man who was fun to be around.
"He's always talking to us," she said. "Very sweet. Very humble and so loving."
Dr. MaryJo Yannacone, the superintendent of the Springfield Township School District, also provided a statement on Cardona's death.
"I can confirm that Mr. Cardona worked for many years in our schools," she wrote. "He was a well respected and much beloved member of the Springfield community and we are devastated at the tragic loss of his life and those of his wife and daughter."
Carbon monoxide safety tips
Safety experts have provided the following tips on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Make sure there are working carbon monoxide alarms in a central location on every level of your home, especially near where people sleep.
- Never use gasoline or charcoal burning devices inside your home, basement or garage.
- Make sure vents for your dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of any debris.
“Because carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless, you may not know that you are suffering from the effects of carbon monoxide," Thompson said.
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
- Headache
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
- blurred vision
- Loss of muscle control
- Loss of consciousness
What to do if your carbon monoxide alarm goes off
If you do have a detector that goes off, leave the home and call 9-1-1 from outside.
“A long-term exposure to lower levels can be just as lethal as being exposed to a very high level in a short period of time.” Thompson said.
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