A man believed to have intentionally set a fire in his apartment to cover up the fact he had repeatedly stabbed his wife there died Wednesday just hours after the bodies of his wife and their baby were found, police said.
Vincente Cordero, who was critically injured in the blaze, was accused by police of second-degree murder and arson. His wife, 30-year-old Kety Sanchez, and their 1-year-old girl, Keiry, were found dead in a bedroom.
Cordero, 34, was pulled from the living room of the Bronx apartment and initially was thought to have died, but authorities later said he was in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at Westchester Medical Center later Wednesday.
Sanchez was found on the floor next to a bed and was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She had severe burns, but it was unclear if she died from the three stab wounds to her torso or from the fire.
The baby was found facedown, dead in her crib, with no visible wounds. Police believe she died in the fire, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The medical examiner's office will determine the causes of death for the infant and her mother.
The blaze was reported around 8 a.m. Wednesday. It started in a fifth-floor bedroom where the bodies were found, and it spread to the living room. Firefighters were on scene in three minutes and had controlled the blaze in the six-story building in about half an hour.
Police said there was some type of argument that led to the violence. The family's grandmother, who lived in the home, fled the flames and survived. The rest of the building was evacuated.Three neighbors were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
