DETROIT – Police say the man and woman found fatally shot in a torched vacant home Monday night were likely killed two days ago in a home on Central Street which was also torched.
According to Detroit police Deputy Chief David Levalley, there are indications of gang involvement based on tattoos on both victims.
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Firefighters were called to a home on Central Street on Sunday night. Arson investigators classified the fire as suspicious. Spent casings and blood were found at the scene.
The two individuals associated with the house could not be located and their van was missing. The next day, the van was found torched on Rutland Street.
Firefighters were called to a vacant home Monday night on Mettetal Street where a man and a woman were found fatally shot near the back door of the house.
The man was identified as 26-year-old Andy Maldonado. The woman has not yet been identified.
Levalley said they will be reviewing security camera footage from a nearby light pole as part of their investigation but that the quality of the video is poor and it has been sent out to be enhanced.
Two black men were seen driving a black SUV on Central Street at about the same time as the fire.
Connection to homicide of Detroit firefighter
Levalley said there is a connection between a relative of the female victim and the homicide of a Detroit firefighter last year.
“There is a connection between a relative of the female victim and the homicide of a Detroit Fire Department member last year and I think they were just convicted last week,” Levalley said. “But that has no bearing; we don’t believe there was any connection between the two. It’s not considered a motive nor is it any kind of deciding factor in how we’re going to investigate the case.”
Nicole O’Neill was the last of three people sentenced last week in the fatal beating of Detroit firefighter David Madrigal.
READ: Woman sentenced to 20 years for her role in Detroit firefighter’s 2015 murder
Stay with Local 4 and ClickonDetroit.com as more information becomes available.