LOGAN — A Tremonton mother and her surviving family members are mourning the loss of five relatives, including four children, who died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning inside a Richmond apartment complex over the weekend.
Deputies with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office responded to the three-unit apartment complex at approximately 12:15 p.m. Saturday after neighbors reported hearing carbon monoxide alarms sounding for an extended period. A neighbor entered the home and discovered a 43-year-old man deceased in the garage. First responders subsequently searched the residence and found four children dead inside: boys aged 16 and 11, and girls aged 12 and 5.
While law enforcement officials have not formally released the identities of the victims, family members shared their loss publicly. Yuvana Soto Orejon identified two of the children as her son, Jesús Gabriel Alejandro Soto, 11, and daughter, Gretshen Sadashi Alejandro Soto, 5. Soto Orejon said her children were spending the weekend with their father.
In a statement shared online, Soto Orejon paid tribute to her children, describing Jesús as a kind, intelligent companion and Gretshen as a bright light whose magical smile filled their home with joy.
Meanwhile, an online memorial fundraiser organized by the father’s older daughter, Maria Palafox, identified the 43-year-old man, her 16-year-old brother, and her 11-year-old sister among those lost in the home. Palafox expressed the profound pain of losing three of her closest loved ones so suddenly while seeking community assistance to cover upcoming funeral costs.
The deaths have left the community in mourning, prompting students at North Cache Middle School to wear blue Monday in honor of their deceased classmates. Students at a nearby high school also wore blue to show their support.
The Cache County School District said it was deeply heartbroken by the loss of three of its students, noting that grief counselors have been made available to students and staff across affected campuses.
Emergency crews evacuated residents from the two adjoining units during the response. One man from a neighboring apartment was transported to a local hospital for potential carbon monoxide exposure.
The Cache County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the cause and source of the carbon monoxide leak remain under active investigation.