Adan Tzoyohua Panzo (Georgia Bureau of Investigation)
A 36-year-old father in Georgia is accused of killing his two young daughters by locking the 1-year-old and 3-year-old in his car and setting it on fire during an argument with his wife.
Adan Tzoyohua Panzo was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with malice murder, felony murder, and arson, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Webster County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, March 30, requested the bureau’s assistance regarding the investigation into the deaths of Panzo’s two daughters.
The GBI investigation showed that Webster County deputies, along with county firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and the Georgia State Police responded to multiple reports about a fire at a home on Millard Kennedy Road in Preston, Georgia, around 150 miles south of Atlanta.
“After first responders put out the fire, they discovered two children dead inside the vehicle,” the GBI wrote in the release. “Further investigation led them to arrest Panzo after allegations that he set the vehicle on fire during a domestic dispute with his wife.”
Webster County Fire Chief Cody Brown told Albany, Georgia NBC and ABC affiliate WALB that firefighters dispatched to the scene had already been made aware there were two children involved in the fire before they arrived.
“My guys were told on the way to the call that there was two children in the car. They got on scene, pulled lines, and extinguished the fire,” Brown reportedly told the station on Sunday. “We’re still working to find out who called the fire in, but by the time the fire crew arrived, it was too late to save the children.”
It was only after the discovery of the children’s bodies that the sheriff’s office requested the assistance of the GBI, per the report.
Authorities have not disclosed any details as to what led to the “domestic dispute” between Panzo and his wife, nor have they released the cause of death for the daughters.
News of the fatal fire sent shock waves throughout the community.
“I don’t know how fast the fire took off or if they suffered or if they [weren’t] suffering,” a resident who asked to remain anonymous told WALB. “I don’t know, it’s just really sad to hear about.”
Another community member similarly told the station that learning the victims were toddlers was “really sad.”
“They’re not even out in the world just yet,” the individual said. “They’re not even able to understand or comprehend what was going on. I couldn’t imagine what they were feeling during that situation.”
Panzo is currently being held at the Webster County Jail without bond.
Authorities are urging anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact the sheriff’s office at 229-828-7503 or the GBI regional investigative office at 229-931-2439. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).
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