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A manhunt is underway after an elderly couple was found dead in their home, both beaten before their attacker set the house on fire, according to the New York City Police Department and a law enforcement official.
The incident began Monday morning, when the attacker was caught on surveillance video knocking on the back door of a home in Queens, New York, according to a law enforcement official. He was let inside by a 77-year-old man who lived at the house, the official said.
Once inside, the attacker, believed to be in his 30s or 40s, beat the elderly couple, the official said. He then set the house on fire before leaving, according to police and the official.
Neighbors called the elderly couple’s son, a New York City Fire Department paramedic, after they saw the home was on fire, the official said.
The couple’s son, along with firefighters and police, rushed to the scene, the official said.
Once the flames were extinguished, authorities found the battered couple, police said. The elderly man was found tied up in the basement, while his wife, a 78-year-old woman, was found on the first floor, according to the official.
Detectives believe both were dead before the fire started, the official said.
NYPD officials released video from a neighbor’s surveillance camera showing the assailant walking down the street shortly after leaving the home.
Detectives have since identified a possible person of interest in connection with the attack and are now searching for that individual, the official said.
The double murder comes as the Trump administration seeks to target major Democratic-led cities over what it describes as an increase in violent crime.
In New York City, murders are down 17 percent this year compared to last year, according to NYPD statistics. Shooting incidents have also decreased by 17 percent so far this year. Burglary is down 4 percent, and overall, major crimes in New York City are down 4 percent compared to last year, the statistics show.
Police are expected to give an update on the attack at 4 p.m.