DENVER — People living in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood said they were elated after learning Denver police arrested three suspects in connection to a fire that killed five people nearly six months ago.
Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen announced the arrests at a press conference on Wednesday. The suspects were identified as three teenage boys responsible for the fire that killed the Diol family, including an infant. The suspects' names weren't released because of their ages.
“You cannot forget this beautiful family that has been taken from us and in just such a horrible way," Pazen said in a one-on-one interview Thursday. “This case is one of many that I will carry with me throughout my life.”
It’s a sentiment shared by some of the neighbors, who didn't want to be identified. Some said they’ve had trouble sleeping these past few months, wondering why someone could do this and worried whether they’d come back and do it again.
On Thursday, Denver7 also spoke with a man who identified himself as the father of one of the teenage suspects. In an off-camera interview, he said he "had no idea" his son was involved in this case, and Wednesday's arrests were unexpected.
Denver police have not released a motive in this case, but Pazen said the fire doesn’t appear to be a “bias-motivated crime.”
“We can't lose sight of the fact that we can't bring this family back. We can't bring these kids back," Pazen said.