Jackie Montanaro, 40, of Hazlet, New Jersey, initially managed to flee the fire, but she later returned to save her youngest kid.
After their New Jersey home caught fire late last week, a mother and her small daughter perished.
The fatal blaze started early on Friday morning on Brookside Avenue in Hazlet, New Jersey, according to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office. Later, two people trapped inside were discovered.
William Montanaro identified the deaths as his wife Jackie Montanaro, a CBP officer, and their youngest daughter Madelyn in a statement to ABC affiliate WABC.
Elena, his 8-year-old eldest daughter, and he, according to William, managed to escape the fire. According to CBS station WCBS-TV, Jackie, 40, initially managed to flee as well, but she later returned to save Madelyn from their burning house.
According to the MCSO, three people—a fireman and the two victims inside the house—were taken to a neighboring hospital.
According to William, Jackie and Madelyn suffered burn injuries in the fire and ultimately passed away. Dutchess, a Goldendoodle owned by the family, perished in the fire as well.
“I am heartbroken,” William said in Friday’s statement, per WABC. “I have lost the love of my life — my beautiful wife, Jackie — and my sweet, loving, spunky little girl, Madelyn.”
According to a GoFundMe effort for William and Elena, Jackie worked as a supervisory officer for Customs and Border Protection and was the vice president of the Customs United Service Alliance.
According to WABC, William claimed that his wife entered the blazing home of the family “with a mother’s love and the courage of a police officer propelling her quest to save our daughter.”
“Jackie’s ability to get any job done at work was only second to her love and devotion to her family at home,” wrote Robert Cacioli, who organized the GoFundMe campaign.
So far, more than $250,000 has been raised for William and Elena via GoFundMe.
According to the MCSO, the fire on Friday is being investigated by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to WABC and the Asbury Park Press, the prosecutor’s office stated that the fire did not seem suspicious.
According to a report by WABC, Jackie and Madelyn’s funeral is set to take place on Friday at St. Benedict R.C. Church in Holmdel, New Jersey.