A birthday celebration turned tragic when five teens were found in a Hialeah hotel room Monday, the cause likely to have been carbon monoxide.
Juchen C. Marctial, 19, Peterson Nazon, 17, Jonas Antenor, 17, Jean Pierre Ferdinand, 16, and Evans Charles, 19, all of Miami, were discovered at the Presidente Motel.
When a maid at the hotel noticed the unconscious bodies through a window, she called 911.
"They're all there, and they don't respond," she told the dispatcher. "They're sprawled on the floor. I haven't wanted to touch them. I'm scared."
She went on to describe the gasoline smell as a "terrible stench." The smell most likely was coming from the boys' car, which, according to the Herald, may have been left on to re-charge the battery.
The Kia was found still running in a garage underneath the room. The car's engine may have been on all night, and the deadly fumes may have traveled into the room through an open door as the men slept.
Police have not ruled whether carbon monoxide poisoning was the official cause of death, but none of the bodies had signs of trauma and police don't suspect foul play, and no alcohol, drugs or suspicious items were found in the room.
