Mansion Catches on Fire in New Jersey, Several Dead

1 person reportedly shot to death on the lawn

Officials say several people have died in a mansion fire in Colts Neck, New Jersey, on Nov. 20.

Aerial footage shows a multi-story home with smoke emitting from it as fire trucks are parked outside.

NJ.com reported that four people, including children, were found dead in the home. NBC New York also reported that one person was found shot to death on the lawn.

“One body, a man, was found outside the home, and the other three were recovered inside the home,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni told Patch.com. “Unfortunately, they were burned severely as a result of the fire.”

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office wrote in a tweet it “is on scene at a fire in Colts Neck with multiple fatalities. Firefighters still working on fire. Stay tuned for more details.”

Officials told The Associated Press that several people were found dead in the house. It’s owned by a tech company executive.

The prosecutor’s office told AP that it’s investigating the fire in Colts Neck along with another fire in Ocean Township, New Jersey. The home in Ocean Township is owned by a relative of the owner of the Colts Neck home, officials said.

The fires appear to be suspicious.

Authorities told NBC that there’s no reason to believe the nearby community is in danger.

Investigators at the Ocean Township fire found several gas cans near the back of the house, NBC reported.

According to real estate website Zillow, the 5,784-square-foot house in Colts Neck was built in 2003. The house is surrounded by fields and a pool, AP reported.

Colts Neck is a community about 50 miles south of New York City. It’s home to horse farms and some homes in the town of 10,000 are valued at around $750,000 each, AP noted.

The fire started at around 1:30 p.m.

Public records show the home is owned by Keith Caneiro, 50, and Jennifer Caneiro, 45.

Caneiro’s LinkedIn profile describes him as the CEO and chief technology officer for a company in the New York City area called Square One. His profile says he graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Science degree in 2018 and previously received certifications from Harvard Business School.

The Ocean Township home, about 10 miles from Colts Neck, is owned by Paul and Susan Caneiro, and public records show the men are related, sharing at least one address in New York several decades ago. They are also “friends” on Facebook, but it is unclear how they are related.

Caneiro is listed as the vice president of firm Square One.

“The last thing I should say is that if anyone has any information about this incident, or the Ocean Twp. fire, please call the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office or Colts Neck police,” Gramiccioni added in the Patch.com report. “Any little bit can constitute a piece of the puzzle that can make things clearer.”

Joy Gamache, a local, told the Asbury Park Press that “the lady” from the 15 Willow Brook was “so nice and beautiful.” She would regularly bring her kids over to see the horses, she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.