Denver Police Searching for Masked Suspects After Family Killed in Fire
Written by SOURCE on August 19, 2020
The Denver Police Departement released a surveillance photo Tuesday that shows a masked group of individuals who are believed to have set fire to a house that killed a family of five, the local NBC-affiliate reports.
The fires took place on Aug. 5 and claimed the lives of 29-year-old Djibril Diol, 23-year-old Adja Diol, and their 2-year-old daughter, Khadija. Djibril’s sister, Hassan Diol, was also in the home with her infant daughter, Hawa Baye. There were three people inside the home at the time who were able to escape the blaze by jumping from a second-story window, suffering serious injuries in the process.
In the photo, the three suspects are seen wearing full-face masks and dark-colored hoodies. Police say that the fire was set intentionally and that the suspects escaped in a dark four-door sedan.
“Early on in the investigation we determined that this fire was intentionally set,” Denver Police Department Division Chief Joe Montoya said per Oxygen.”It was then converted into a homicide investigation.”
At this point, no motives have been issued as the catalyst for this arson. But, the Diols were reportedly “prominent members of Denver’s Senegalese community.” The surviving family members are still in need of financial support and a GoFundMe has been created to help ease this burden. The president of Senegal, Macky Sall, also offered his condolences to the family.
Police are now offering a $14,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
“Beyond the money, what I’m asking for is a heartfelt plea. I want people to look into their hearts. I want them to see the picture of this family and understand that this was a family that was thriving. They were headed in the right direction,” Montoya said. “[Djibril Diol] was doing all the things he needed to do to provide his family with an amazing life in America, and that was all cut short on that day. So I ask if you have any information on this crime, we ask that you look into your hearts and do the right thing.”
