Savvas Savopoulos and his family were found inside their home in Washington D.C. last Thursday, and this case is now making national headlines. According to Daily Mail Online , Savvas , his wife, their son, and the family maid were inside the home when it was set on fire. The person responsible left the scene in a car owned by the family. That car was later burned.
When authorities arrived at the home on Thursday afternoon around 1:15 p.m., they saw smoke, and there was fire coming through the roof. Inside, firefighters found the four victims. One was still alive, and that person was bleeding from a head wound. Authorities on scene also smelled gasoline on the person’s body. That person later died from their injuries.
It has been reported by the police that three of the four victims were stabbed repeatedly. The person responsible entered the home on Wednesday night, and they stayed inside with the family through the next day. During the night, the members of the Savapoulos family were bound and threatened.
Reports state that the criminal was looking for something, and they had come to the house to get it. Once Savvas gave the person what they wanted, the house was set on fire. The home is located near the home of Joe Biden.
It is not known what the person was looking for when they entered the home last Wednesday. However, police believe that the person possibly knew Savvas and his family. There was no sign of forced entry anywhere in the home.
Savvas and Amy Savopoulos confirmed dead in arson murder investigation, D.C. police say http://t.co/oonkhk3oFU pic.twitter.com/Xk1eoCXySw
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5newsdc) May 15, 2015
[ONE DIRECTION] Savopoulos family in DC may have known attackers in murder-arson: Savvas… http://t.co/wNQsYUMRkN Please RT @All1dcrew
— Beemzjoint·com (@RealAbdulQadir) May 19, 2015
Savvas and his family had been busy in the days leading up to the fire at the home. Another housekeeper was sent to work at a new martial arts center in nearby Virginia. Savvas had the business set to open on Friday. The housekeeper was scheduled to come in and clean the family home on Thursday, but both Savvas, and his wife Amy, called and texted her the night before. They told her to not come in. Amy texted her again on Thursday to make sure she received their messages.
That housekeeper, Nelitza Gutierrez, also received a voice mail about the maid at the family home. Savvas told Nelitza that the other housekeeper was staying the night with the family instead of returning to her own home. She spoke with the media about the communications she received.
“It was something very suspicious because I felt his voice was really tense, and it was different than what he had said to me before. [On Thursday, I called] to see if [Amy] was okay, but she never answered.”
Gutierrez worked for the Savopoulos family for 20 years before their deaths. The maid that died with the family, Veralicia Figueroa, worked for the family for four years. Gutierrez thought it was suspicious that she was staying with the family overnight. She had never done that in the past. Gutierrez told another media outlet that “God saved [her] life.” She has started a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to pay for Veralicia’s funeral.
Veralicia Figueroa, the housekeeper from Silver Spring DC police believe was killed in yesterday’s arson in Northwest pic.twitter.com/Xw11Ooxo2x
— Tom Roussey (@tomrousseyABC7) May 15, 2015
According to reports, Figeuroa, who was from El Salvador, had told family and co-workers that was ready to retire and return home to be with her family. People Magazine shared a statement made by her husband, Bernardo Alfaro, since her tragic death.
“All I can say is I’m very sad. I don’t want to do anything.”
There is a person of interest being looked for in this shocking murder case. The family Porsche was found torched in a town in Maryland. At the location, there is a video camera that managed to catch footage of a person walking away from the vehicle. That footage was released by the police on Saturday night. The police are hoping that the footage helps them find the person responsible for the death of Savvas Savopoulos and his family.
Those that knew Savvas and his family have shared their grief and shock over the tragic death of him, his wife, and their 10-year-old son. Their son, Phillip, attended an elite private school that could be seen from the family home. The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope, from the St. Albans school released a statement, according to My Fox DC .
“We at the Cathedral mourn the loss of the four people who perished on Thursday. This tragedy has deeply impacted our community and we are dedicated to helping all those touched by this family through their grief. We ask that the privacy of the family and the community be respected and that they be given the space to mourn. Please join us in praying for all those whose lives have been effected by this tragedy.”
Savvas Savopoulous was the President and CEO of American Iron Works . Robert Hodge, the Vice President of Environmental Safety and Health for the company, spoke with People Magazine about Savvas.
“He was a very kind man, a very gentle man. He was the best person I ever worked for. He was very family oriented. His family meant the world to him. [We started a school to] help people who had lost their jobs for whatever reason get back on their feet. I am in shock. This is such a terrible tragedy. He was so kind. A wonderful, wonderful man.”
Savvas’ sister also spoke to her brother on Thursday morning, and she did not sense that anything was amiss with him or the family. She said to the media that she “can’t even express [her] sorrow.”
Many others have also spoken about the family since the news broke last week. Chris Van Hollen , a Maryland Congressman, knew the family for several years. He released his own statement, according to CBS Baltimore .
“My heart goes out to the Savopoulos family at this time of unspeakable tragedy. They were an important part of the community and will be deeply missed.”
This tragic incident does have others in the area fearing for their own safety. A housekeeper that works at the house next door revealed that she was now scared because “something can happen. Everywhere.”
Savvas and Amy also had two daughters. Neither were home at the time of the incident. Both of the girls are away at boarding school. Police are still investigating this crime. Investigators have visited both the home and the location where the car was found to look for more clues. A $100,000 reward is being offered for any information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible. The Savopoulos family will be buried on June 1.
.[Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
