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COLTS NECK, N.J. – The investigation of a house fire in a small affluent New Jersey community where two adults and two children were found dead took a turn Wednesday when authorities arrested the brother of the man who owned the house. Paul Caneiro was charged with a serious arson incident caused by a separate fire on Tuesday at his residence in Ocean Township, about 15 km from the mansion.
The authorities had speculated that the two fires could be related, but did not accuse anyone in connection with the arson of the Colts Neck mansion.
This image released by the Monmouth County District Attorney's Office shows Paul Caneiro, who was charged by the prosecutor on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 for arson.
AP
Colts Neck is about 50 miles south of New York, and the upscale enclave is home to a number of celebrities, including Bruce Springsteen. Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart and his wife operate an animal shelter there; Queen Latifah sold her mansion there in 2015.
The property records indicate that Colts Neck House belonged to Keith Caneiro. Paul Caneiro and he are named executives in a technology company, Square One.
It was not known immediately if Paul Caneiro had retained the services of a lawyer. The Monmouth County Attorney's Office was scheduled to hold a press conference later on Wednesday.
Three burnt bodies were found inside the mansion and a man's body was discovered outside, said Tuesday the Monmouth County District Attorney, Christopher Gramiccioni.
A source told NJ.com that it was Caneiro's body discovered outside the mansion on the lawn. Aged 50, he reportedly had a gunshot wound "that did not seem to be self-inflicted". A source told NJ.com that the badly burned bodies found inside the house were Jennifer and the couple's two young children.
A medical examiner investigated the causes of the deaths of four people, said Gramiccioni.
"Very kind, very friendly, everyone with whom you would like to live at the base," said one of their neighbors.
Firefighters reacted to the fire around 1:30 pm and it was still burning hours later. The video showed firemen fighting the fire as smoke poured from the roof of the two-story house, surrounded by fields and including a large pool.
Helicopter footage showed a leaf in the middle of the yard next to the house, with a police band cordoning off the area.
CBS News tried unsuccessfully to contact Paul Caneiro and also went to the prosecutor's office to get his comments, but did not have an immediate response.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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