A very disturbing story is coming to light in the ashes of an apartment fire in the northern California.
Police say Monica Christine McCarrick killed her twin daughters, Lily and Tory, on Sept. 12 inside a Fairfield apartment before injuring herself and then setting the place on fire.
According to investigators, the father of the twins, Michael Ball, 38 -- whose last known address, according to court papers, was in El Cajon -- lives somewhere in San Diego County, but they have been unable to find him. Officials said that McCarrick and the twins lived for a time with the Ball in a La Mesa apartment but later moved to Pennsylvania, where McCarrick still has family.
Fire crews responded to a report of a fire Tuesday and then made a gruesome discovery once they got inside the smokey unit. Investigators say they think the children, who were 3 years old, were already dead from stab injuries before the fire was set.
Their 28-year old mother also suffered self-inflicted stab wounds. McCarrick was taken to a John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek and was taken to surgery for her injuries. Fairfield police released a statement reporting McCarrick was arrested on two counts of murder, two counts of child abuse resulting in death, one count of arson and one count of destruction of evidence.
Neighbors at the complex said the family has only lived there a short time. They did not know anything about a father or what could have motivated such an act.
Police said they were not able to talk to McCarrick before she went in to surgery, so a motive is unknown.
Police said that the McCarrick recently moved to Fairfield for a job. She suffered several stab wounds to her body and was listed in critical condition but is expected to survive.
