SUV is seen driving away from a home minutes before the property bursts into flames – killing eight-year-old girl and her babysitter inside
Footage has emerged of the moments before a fire broke out at a Brisbane home on Sunday morning, killing an eight-year-old girl and her babysitter.
Little Raven Contini was found dead in the still-smoldering mansion in the suburb of Thornside, before the body of Stephanie Ryan, 31, was later discovered.
CCTV footage showed a white SUV leaving the Bayside Court complex at 7:10 a.m., three minutes before smoke could be seen coming from the townhouse.
While neighbors did their best to help, the SUV was seen returning four minutes later, in footage obtained by 9News.
Police are investigating and no arrests have been made.
“The fact that the homicide investigation unit has been called in does not mean there is anything sinister at this stage,” Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said.
“It’s just undetermined, the actual cause of the fire and the deaths of the people involved.”
The SUV has since been towed for forensic examination.
CCTV footage (pictured) has emerged of the moments before a fire broke out at a Brisbane home on Sunday morning, killing an eight-year-old girl and her babysitter
Raven Contini (pictured) was found in the still-smoldering mansion in the suburb of Thornside
The driver had been ‘very co-operative’ with police, Inspector Dalton added.
“We have no suspects,” he said.
“There’s nothing to indicate this fire is suspicious in any way, but we’ll treat it as if it is until we find it, make a decision one way or another.”
The police are calling on anyone who has information, mobile images or camera images to come forward.
Police are also examining images from inside the mansion complex.
Raven’s mother Chloe Rodgers-Falk and stepfather Matthew were on holiday in Ballina, NSW, at the time of the tragedy, and are “devastated”, Inspector Dalton said.
About thirty firefighters battled the blaze, which caused part of the roof of the mansion to collapse.
Neighbor Xia Iheng told the ABC she desperately tried to help after seeing the fire tear through the house.
“I said (to other witnesses) ‘I don’t have a hose, I only have buckets’ and a young lady helped me water the fire, but it was so strong,” she said.
“I feel overwhelmed, a lot of emotions, just shocked and exhausted.”
Raven’s heartbroken family paid tribute to the little girl on Sunday evening.
“I loved to cook, loved to shop, loved to socialize, a very special, much loved eight-year-old girl,” Christine Mary and Robert Arthur Rodgers-Falk said in a statement.
‘Nickname her Turtle. She was very beautiful. Lifted us up when we saw her.”
The mansion (photo) was destroyed by the fire that broke out early Sunday morning
Raven is pictured with her mother Chloe Rodgers-Falk and stepfather Matthew Rodgers-Falk
The body of Stephanie Ryan (pictured) was later found after she was initially reported missing
Family members of both victims have organized online fundraisers.
“Stephy will always be remembered as a smiling, happy young woman who was always there for anyone who needed her, without fail, with great love for her family and friends,” wrote Ryan’s aunt Karen Linsley. GoFundMe.
‘We are all devastated by the news of what happened yesterday.
‘We would like to give Steph the farewell she deserves. Any help would be greatly appreciated by our entire family.”