UPDATE: 43-year-old Kristi Telles has been identified as they victim. Her cause of death has not been determined.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue suspect carbon monoxide poisoning in the woman's death but said the coroner will make the final determination on the cause of death.
According to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, a passer-by said a man flagged him down and advised him he needed medical help and his girlfriend was inside his house and she also needed medical attention and was unable to escape on her own.
He also advised that a power generator was in the house and he believed they may have been overcome by carbon monoxide gas. The caller was advised not to enter the home and wait for firefighters.
A few minutes later firefighters arrived and entered the home with full protective clothing and breathing apparatus. They also had a meter which indicated extreme amounts of carbon monoxide gas were inside the house.
Firefighters searched the house and found the girlfriend lying on the floor at the top of the stairs unresponsive. She was immediately taken out of the house into an ambulance and paramedics attempted to revive the woman. After several attempts they were not successful.
The victim was pronounced on scene. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Because a fatality was found inside the home with fire & rescue response, the decision was made to treat the incident the same as a fatal fire which means an investigation would be conducted by fire investigators of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, Las Vegas police and the Clark Coroner’s Office at the same time.
Before investigators could go into the house, it had to be cleared of the carbon monoxide gas, which took several hours.
Investigators found two outside cooking devices inside the house in which they believe was used for heating. They also found a power generator being used to produce electricity. The utilities to the house were disconnected. It appears that carbon monoxide gas accumulated in the house to the point that both of the occupants were overcome.
ORIGINAL STORY:
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- A woman was found dead at a northwest Las Vegas residence Thursday evening.
Las Vegas police responded to the 6600 block of Crosstimber Court, near Gowan Road and Rainbow Boulevard, around 5:22 p.m. Police were not able to enter the residence at first due to high levels of gas.
A man was also transported to the hospital.
Police said it may be drug-related but they are still investigating further.
Neighbors complain there have been issues at that home before. Police would not confirm the nature of those issues.
Angie Turner couldn’t believe it. She lives right next to the home.
“Terrified. It’s just bad,” she said.
The exact details of how it all happened are still unclear. Police did not release the names of the victims.
Neighbors like Tom Valento said police have had to come to this neighborhood for emergency calls several times in the past few months.
“I’m very concerned,” Valento said. “There are children in the neighborhood, my house is in jeopardy. My family has to go through this all the time.”
This is a developing story. Check back to 13 Action News for updates.
