Bellevue police said officers found two children dead inside a home Sunday.
Three-year-old Theodore Price and 5-year-old Emily Price were found dead at a home in the 2700 block of Alberta Avenue.
BPD said the children’s mother called and asked for a welfare check after not hearing from them for several days. Investigators said the mother lives in Illinois and splits custody of the children. The mother said it was the kids week with their father, but not hearing from them raised red flags.
“She said she hadn’t heard from them in a couple days and she’s required to by court order and so officers responded here they had no contact at the door,” said BPD Capt. Andy Jashinske.
Police were first called just before 10 p.m. Saturday. They were then called again 9 a.m. Sunday morning, both by the children’s mother.
A police report states: “Officers investigated during both calls for service but did not observe exigent circumstances that would allow them to force entry into the home.”
See the update below regarding today’s death investigation in Bellevue. Tweeted by @Capt_Jashinske pic.twitter.com/qOnGDmSjKb
— Bellevue Police (@BellevuePolice) May 17, 2021
On Sunday morning, at approximately 11:03 a.m., Bellevue Police and Fire Departments were dispatched back to the home, due to the children being found dead.
BPD said friends of the children’s mother got into the home and found them.
Please see the press release below for details regarding a death investigation is currently working. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family three-year-old Theodore and five-year-old Emily. Tweeted by @Capt_Jashinske pic.twitter.com/aehY74hgvq
— Bellevue Police (@BellevuePolice) May 16, 2021
“We’re investigating as a suspicious death because there is no logical explanation for this that we can see right now so we’re trying to determine what happened here,” Jashinske said.
Police said they could not find the children’s father, 34 year old Adam Price and launched a search for his vehicle.
Bellevue police say Price was caught in Pacifica, California near San Francisco.
“We have two young children a 3 and 5 year old who are no longer with us and this is a very sad circumstance,” Jashinske said.
The children’s mother says her kids were sweethearts and did not deserve what happened to them.
DEVELOPING: The Sarpy County attorney’s office confirms with @WOWT6News that two children have been found dead inside this Bellevue home. No other info has been provided yet, @BellevuePolice expected to release more soon. pic.twitter.com/Az06dQv5eM
— Marlo Lundak WOWT (@marlolundaktv) May 16, 2021
Neighbors in the area say they didn’t know the family well, but the kids were often seen in front of the house or playing with other children in the area.
“I would see them out almost every day playing with their trucks and everything. I saw them Wednesday out there playing and after Wednesday I never saw them. Never gave it a second thought that something was wrong with them,” neighbor Patricia Otey tells 6 News.
Police: Father caught in California after 3-year-old, 5-year-old found dead inside Bellevue home https://t.co/aVcyZXFzod
— KETV NewsWatch 7 (@KETV) May 17, 2021
Neighbors also say they thought it was suspicious that Price had put the trash out on a Thursday, when the trash in their neighborhood isn’t collected until Monday.
The investigation is ongoing. On top of the 911 detail, police ask that anyone with information call the Bellevue Police Department at (402) 593-4111 or Sarpy County Crimestoppers at (402) 592-STOP.
