4 found dead, including 2 young boys, in San Mateo home
SAN MATEO, Calif. - In an unusual tragedy for this bedroom community, two adults and two young boys were found dead inside a San Mateo home Monday morning, officials said.
Police found a man, a woman and two children "with obvious signs of death" in a residence on Alameda de las Pulgas around 9:13 a.m.
Officials did not explain the relationship between the victims or say how they died.
The victims' identities have not yet been released.
Police said a 9 a.m. 911 call spurred a welfare check at the location after someone reported they hadn't heard from the residents for some time.
Police arrived and checked the exits of the home and found no signs of forced entry.
Police also said there was no danger to the public.
Nonetheless, residents of the Sugarloaf neighborhood were shaken up.
Neighbors had to be escorted to and from their homes while police continued to work in the area.
Matthew Sheldon and his daughter, Marianne, have both lived in San Mateo their entire lives and they say they've never seen anything like this.
"There's hardly any deaths in this area ever," Matthew said.
Other neighbors noted that San Mateo, despite how relatively safe and quiet, isn't immune to death or tragedy.
"It seems like an isolated incident, but I’m really sorry things happened. It happens everywhere," said Thomas F. Lease. "I’m not going to walk in fear now."
One man told KTVU that he hopes that more neighbors will be willing to reach out to one another to build a tighter-knit community.
"You hope that people talk more. You hate to rally around a tragedy like this or have something like this happen. But you hope people come out into their neighborhood and maybe that'll get people talking again," said neighbor Ron Mifsud.
Police echoed the comments of neighbors about how unusual these deaths are.
"This is not a normal call for anyone. It's tragic for the family, the community, the officers. Really everyone involved," said Jerami Surratt with San Mateo Police Department.
Police confirmed they are indeed not looking for any suspects.
At the State of the City address on Monday night, San Mateo Mayor Lisa Diaz Nash held a moment of silence for the four people found dead in the home.
"It was horrific, it was devastating to all of us, to the community as well as to our San Mateo Police officers."
Diaz Nash has lived in San Mateo since 2013 and believes it’s one of the safest communities on the Peninsula.
"Our neighbors are the eyes and ears of our police force," the mayor said. "They can’t be everywhere all at once. So, I would just encourage everyone: if you see something, say something."