Detectives on Thursday afternoon launched a death investigation after a mother and her son were found dead inside a home Chicago's West Elsdon neighborhood in what police believe was a home invasion.
Officials were called to the single-family home on the 3600 block of West 55th Street, near Midway International Airport, shortly before 3 p.m. Inside, first responders found a couch on fire and the two bodies.
Relatives identified the victims as Carlos Herrera, 22, and his 48-year-old mother, Maria Concepcion, who they described as a dedicated, stay-at-home mother. They said there was never any violence in the home in the 20 years the family had lived there.
"It's hard to take," said relative Maria Herrera. "I have kids and the thought of leaving a little boy behind..."
A neighbor told NBC Chicago it was Concepcion's husband who came home to a strong natural gas odor and one of the victims tied up on the couch.
Police believe an offender or offenders may have tried to set the home on fire before fleeing the scene.
"They were a very close family and never had any problems with anybody that I'm aware of," said Teresa Negrete.
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The couple also has an 8-year-old son who was not injured.
