Naperville father thanks 911 caller who tried to get help

The call came too late, but a Naperville man whose family died in a weekend fire said Wednesday he wants to thank the passing motorist who tried to get help.

"At least he gave them a chance at life," an emotional Anand Tiwari said Wednesday in his first public comment since the tragedy. "Thank him, on my behalf, for making the call."

In a 150-seat Hillside sanctuary, mourners will try to comfort the grieving man today during a traditional Hindu service for his wife, Nimisha Tiwari, and their two young children.

Afterward, 4-year-old Vardaan and his 18-month-old sister, Ananya, will be buried side-by-side in Oakridge Cemetery's Heavenly Angels section, near hundreds of other children. Their 32-year-old mother will be cremated.

Police said Nimisha Tiwari used gasoline to intentionally set the blaze in the home on Nutmeg Lane in Naperville. The passer-by called 911 at 3:45 p.m. Saturday after noticing the smoke.

After forcing open the dead-bolted front door, rescuers found the bodies of the mother and her two children in the master bedroom. A gas can and lighter were found nearby. There were no signs of forced entry to the home.

Anand Tiwari said he is taking one day at a time, but, eventually, the computer engineer said he wants to create a living legacy in his children's honor.

"I will definitely do something in terms of helping children," Tiwari said. "I don't know what yet. I will be thinking about that (after the services). I will need some help. This is most important to me."

He and his wife married in April 1999 and moved from India to the U.S. later that year. They eventually settled down in Naperville's Cinnamon Creek subdivision. Neighbors described a happy family, but police and court records documented recent marital discord. Nimisha Tiwari also was struggling with multiple sclerosis.

Police have surveillance footage of her buying a can of gasoline at a gas station two hours before the fatal fire. Her father, P. Awasthi, arrived Wednesday from his home in India to attend the services.

Before he left, he told a newspaper in Calcutta, India that his daughter was not capable of killing her children. The father said he spoke to her the day of the fire and she seemed fine.

Police did not find a suicide note. They still are doing a forensic review on the family's home computer with the hope of shedding more light on the tragedy.

Services are from 10 a.m. to noon today at the Oakridge Cemetery, 4301 W. Roosevelt Road, in Hillside.