The deaths of the mother and two children found amid a Seattle house fire were ruled homicides, while the death of a man killed in the blaze was ruled a suicide, according to multiple news reports.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that Lana Stewart, 40, died of sharp force injuries, while Sebastino Ragusa, 7, died of inhalation of toxic products of combustion and four-month-old Valentina Ragusa died of smoke inhalation, according to reports fromKING 5,KIRO 7and theAssociated Press. Those three deaths were all reportedly ruled homicides.
The fourth person killed in the fire was Salvatore Ragusa, 48, who died of smoke inhalation, the outlets reported. His death was ruled a suicide.
Adrea Stewart-Sloniker/GoFundMe
Seattle police responded to the fire in the city’s Wallingford neighborhood, having learned that the 11-year-old had escaped and alerted a neighbor, the department said in a release. Officers tried to enter the home, which they said was barricaded. Inside they found Stewart, Ragusa and the two children. A dog was also found dead inside the home, KING 5 reported.
The 11-year-old was treated for minor injuries, police said.
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In the reported statement, Stewart’s sisters said Salvatore Ragusa suffered from schizophrenia. The same statement said that Stewart was “a loving mother who tried her best to keep peace within the house."
The GoFundMe started to raise money for Lulu, the lone survivor of the fire, has already generated over $14,000 in donations in less than a day.
“Lulu has always been known as a talkative & loving girl who always put her family first,” wrote the girl’s aunt. “As she got older and became more aware of her situation, she often took on a protective but nurturing role.
“Therefore I’m not all surprised she jumped out a window with a 16 foot drop to help others survive. She thought she was going back to save her brother & sister after calling for help.”
The funds raised will go toward the girl’s recovery and education.
“Overall, we just want to be able to offer her the best life possible and set her up for success in the future,” she wrote.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
