PRESTON, Ga. – A Georgia man is accused of burning his two baby daughters to death when he ignited the car they were in on Saturday during an argument with his wife, according to state law enforcement authorities.
Adan Tzoyohua Panzo, 36 was charged with the murder of his 1- and 3-year-old daughters after first responders rushed to extinguish the vehicle fire in front of a home in the small, unincorporated community of Preston, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
GBI provided the following details in a press release:
On Saturday, March 30, 2024, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to investigate the deaths of Panzo’s young daughters (ages 1 & 3).
The investigation shows the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Webster County Fire and EMS personnel, and the Georgia State Patrol responded to reports of a vehicle on fire at a home on Millard Kennedy Road in Preston, Webster County. After first responders put out the fire, they discovered 2 children dead inside the vehicle. Further investigation led them to arrest Panzo after allegations that he set the vehicle on fire during a domestic dispute with his wife.
Panzo was booked into the Webster County Jail.
Currently, this is an active investigation involving GBI agents, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, & the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
“My guys were told on the way to the call that there was two children in the car,” Webster County Fire Chief Cody Brown told WALB. “They got on scene, pulled lines, and extinguished the fire.”
Panzo was booked into jail on the charges of felony murder, malice murder and arson, according to GBI, the New York Post reported.
“It’s really sad to hear that a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old lost their life,” a local resident lamented while speaking with WALB. “They’re not even out in the world just yet. They’re not even able to understand or comprehend what was going on. I couldn’t imagine what they were feeling during that situation.”
Officials said the investigation remains ongoing and no further details were immediately released.
Preston is located in the southwest part of Georgia near the Alabama border with a population around 1,000.
