Jordan Criado Allegedly Stabbed Family, Set House on Fire
Five out of six family members died in a house fire on Monday in Medford, Ore., with the father, 51-year-old Jordan Criado, being the only one to survive.
Criado is currently in a medically induced coma after suffering smoke inhalation, reported the Mail Tribune. He is also under investigation for a possible arson and homicide case.
His wife, Tabasha Paige-Criado, 30, and children aged 2, 5, 6, 7, were all reported to have died from smoke inhalation and stab wounds.
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The victims were pulled out of the burning house by rescuers after neighbors reported of smoke coming from the home.
When firefighters tried to resuscitate them on their front lawn, they initially were unaware of the stab wounds, only believing they had suffered from smoke inhalation.
After rescuers realized the situation, the family members were rushed to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.
The father is the only suspect so far. CNN reported that Chief Tim George with the Medford Police Department stated that Criado was “more than a man of interest.”
“But I won’t go as far as calling him a suspect but that will more than likely change,” George added. “We’re still making assignments and we’re still sending folks every which way to find out, we need to know the whole story.”
Further details revealed that Criado’s wife had been reported missing earlier that morning, before the fire. A man at the house called the police in search of the mother, who returned unharmed about 2 hours later, just blocks away from the home.
Investigators are currently trying to see if any domestic violence calls were reported from the home.
Neighbors in the Medford community told The Associated Press that the family moved into the house less than a year ago and appeared nice.
“Never saw any trouble,” Calvin Kennedy, one of Criado’s neighbors, shared. “It’s just sad.”
Others later revealed to the Mail Tribune that though it seemed like the father had a bit of a temper and was strict on his children, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
The Oregon news source also reported that court records revealed that the father was arrested in 2005 on an extraditable fugitive warrant but was waived extradition eventually.
Records also showed that the couple was sued over a credit card debt, which was paid off two months later.
No further word is out on whether the father was responsible for the death of his family.
