Authorities: Deadly Bloomington fire set by father

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - Authorities in Bloomington say a fire that left a father and his two children dead was intentionally set by the father.

Police identified the deceased as 33-year-old Eric Ringenberg and his sons, CR, age 2, and RR, an infant. The boys were identified only by their initials in a police statement issued Wednesday evening.

The Pantagraph in Bloomington reports the mother, 32-year-old Pamela Ringenberg, was treated for smoke inhalation at a local hospital.

Autopsies showed the children died of strangulation.

Police say home surveillance cameras show Eric Ringenberg concealing the family cellphones in a kitchen cabinet. And they show him intentionally starting the fire in the basement after the children were killed. The father then hung himself in the basement early Tuesday morning.

The cameras show Pamela Ringenberg awaking to the sound of the smoke alarm, searching for her family and her cellphone. She fled the house and sought help from neighbors.