3 Children Killed, Evidence Of Meth Found In Fire

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Gwinnett County police charged a man with murder after firefighters said they found chemicals related to methamphetamine production in a house fire that killed three children.

A Gwinnett Police spokesman told Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh that officers charged Ivan Gonzalez with two counts of murder and a third charge was pending. Police told Kavanaugh they were actively searching for Gonzalez on Friday moing.

The children's mother, Neibi Yamel Brito, was charged with trafficking of methamphetamine.

The three children died despite the efforts of three men. Two teenagers told Channel 2’s Eric Philips they spotted smoke coming from the home on Spring Mill Drive in Lilbu on Thursday afteoon.

”We just heard this lady screaming about her babies so it was like adrenaline or whatever, said a teen identified only as Connor.

Connor, his friend identified as Joshua, and a third passerby who had a ladder worked quickly to get the children out of the home. The teens told Philips the children were unconscious in an upstairs room.

”We climbed on the roof and brought the children through the window, Joshua said. ”I would pass them to someone else.

Firefighters arrived as the rescuers carried the third child out. All three children died at the hospital.

”It’s hard with children. When anything bad happens to kids it's awful, neighbor Christy Bus told Philips.

Investigators said the fire started in a hallway on the first floor when chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine ignited.

Police said Gonzalez said he would follow paramedics to the hospital but never arrived. Officers described him as 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 190 pounds. Gonzalez has a large tattoo of the Virgin Mary on his calf, according to officials. Investigators told Kavanaugh that Gonzalez was last seen driving a late model silver or gray Honda Accord or Civic. Gonzalez also uses the alias John McGowan Torres, police said.

Officers said in a Friday news conference that Gonzalez was arrested a week ago with several other men in a home Suwanee.

Among those men was Antonia Cardenas-Rico, a man once suspected in the stabbing of three Gwinnett children and their father.

Rico was cleared of those charges, and police released Gonzalez as well, but charged him with presenting false documents.