A Fresno man is facing arson and murder charges after being arrested on suspicion of setting a house fire that killed his infant niece and nephew and severely injured their mother.
Filimon "Robert" Hurtado, 29, was arrested on Tuesday after the Fresno Police Department said he admitted to setting the fire "because he wanted to kill everyone in the home."
Hurtado's 5-month-old nephew, Calyx Hurtado, and 18-month-old niece, Cataleya Hurtado, died in the fire, police said.
Thirty-two-year-old Claudia Ruiz Marin, the children's mother, is "fighting for her life with severe burns to her body," according to police.
Hurtado himself was admitted to a local hospital for "substantial burns," according to police.
"He had no reasonable explanation as to why he committed this horrendous act," police said.
The Fresno Bee reported that Hurtado is the brother of the children's father and allegedly used gasoline to set the family on fire while they were in a single room of the house.
Hurtado faces multiple murder charges, including attempted murder of Ruiz Marin.
If convicted of all charges and allegations, Hurtado faces a potential death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a news release issued by the Fresno County District Attorney's Office.
"The District Attorney's Office is currently conducting the necessary analysis on whether to seek the death penalty and will make an announcement on that decision at a later date," the office said in the release.
