Police were dispatched to the home just before 1 p.m. Monday for a disturbance call, reported KETV.
A mother and daughter were killed in an explosion at their Nebraska home on Tuesday hours after the grandmother was granted a domestic abuse protection order against her grandson, who was critically injured in the blast and later died from his injuries, according to police.
The grandmother, Theresa Toledo, 73, who was known for her delicious Mexican food and who had been preparing tamales to give to her relatives, had grown fearful of her 28-year-old grandson, Alexander Toledo, who lived in the basement of her south-central Omaha home.
On Monday, she filed an application for a personal protection order that said that her grandson used methamphetamine and hallucinogenic mushrooms, the Omaha World-Herald reported.
In the petition, she expressed concern about her safety. “I need Alex out of my house now before he destroys my house or harms me, the drugs make him crazy."
She wrote: “He has put holes in the basement walls where he stays and you can't even walk in the basement he has electronics in the walls and ceiling. I am afraid he will start my house on fire,” KETV reported.
Police were reportedly dispatched to the home just before 1 p.m. Monday for a disturbance call, according to the news station.
Theresa’s 45-year-old daughter, Angela Toledo Miller, and Alex’s mother were pronounced dead at the scene when firefighters arrived. Theresa Toledo's partner, Larry Rodriguez, 72, was taken to Nebraska Medical Center in critical condition. One dog had died in the explosion. Firefighters were able to rescue a second dog, who was treated with oxygen at the scene.
The 8:15 a.m. fire leveled the home, leaving behind a gaping crater and neighboring houses suffered heavy damage, according to Omaha Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick, who said the house was destroyed, the Associated Press reported.
Debris from the explosion that included splintered lumber, blew into neighboring trees, vehicles and houses. Crews from the utility company had to shut off power and gas lines and the area remained closed for hours.
Melanie Grabowski was walking her dog when she heard the loud boom and called the situation “surreal and horrific,” KETV News reported.
"I'm sad. Just because of the fact, you know Theresa's not here. I pray for their family," she said.
Omaha fire officials said it would take days to determine the cause of the blast, the AP reported.
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