A woman and a 9-month-old baby had died before a fire broke out at their home in Wallingford last Wednesday, according to police.
Police said 24-year-old Justin Varnado, 19-year-old Karizmah Johnson and 9-month-old Kylenn (Jasir) Varnado died after the fire.
However, police now say Johnson and 9-month-old Kylenn were reportedly dead before the fire broke out.
Police are treating the case as a suspicious death investigation. A cause and manner of death are still pending from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
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A man who was outside was suffering from severe burns and he was flown to a local burn center, police said.
Once crews got inside, they found two people in the second-floor apartment. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other died after being transported to an area hospital, police said.
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Justin Varnado was arrested by Wallingford police for domestic violence charges on March 25. Because of this, there was an active protective order barring him from being at the home.
The Wallingford fire marshal’s office and the state fire marshal’s office investigated with assistance from the Wallingford Police Department’s Investigative Services Division, Central District Major Crime and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office.
The investigation indicates that the incident is criminal in nature, according to police.
The cause and origin of the fire are being investigated.
