US /

NJ Mansion Set Ablaze; 2 Adults, 2 Kids Dead

A relative's nearby home also caught fire Tuesday in New Jersey
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 20, 2018 5:39 PM CST
2 Adults, 2 Kids Dead in Intentionally-Set Mansion Fire
In this image made from a video provided by WABC firefighters battle a fatal fire on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, in Colts Neck, NJ.   (WABC via AP)

Two children and two adults were found dead Tuesday at a burning mansion that was intentionally set ablaze in an upscale community near the New Jersey shore, officials said. One of the owners of the home is a technology CEO with a relative whose house not far away also caught fire Tuesday, records show. Authorities said they were investigating whether there was a link, the AP reports. A man was found dead outside the burning 5,700-square-foot mansion in Colts Neck, and the three others were found inside, Monmouth County prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said at a news conference. The three found inside were severely burned, making it difficult to identify them, he said. No identities have been released, and a medical examiner was still investigating the manner and cause of death for all four, he said. Sources tell the Asbury Park Press the man found outside had been shot to death.

"It's important to emphasize that we have no reason to believe that anyone in the community is in any danger at this time," Gramiccioni said. Firefighters responded to the fire around 1:30pm, and hours later, the fire continued to burn at the home, surrounded by fields and featuring a large swimming pool. Video showed smoke pouring from the roof of the two-story, four-bedroom home in Colts Neck as firefighters battled the blaze. Colts Neck is a well-to-do community about 50 miles south of New York City and is home to horse farms. Typical homes in the town of 10,000 are valued at about $750,000. Bruce Springsteen owns an estate there, and his son is a former member of the fire department. Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart and his wife operate an animal sanctuary there; Queen Latifah sold her mansion there in 2015. Public records show the mansion that burned Tuesday is owned by Keith Caneiro, 50, and Jennifer Caneiro, 45; per LinkedIn, Keith Caneiro is founder and CEO of a company called Square One. Sources say the relative whose home also caught fire is Keith Caneiro's brother, who is listed as VP of Square One. (More arson stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X