Georgia father burns young daughters to death after locking them in car amid 'domestic dispute' with wife

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

WEBSTER COUNTY, GEORGIA: Authorities in Georgia have arrested a 36-year-old father, Adan Tzoyohua Panzo, for allegedly killing his two young daughters. 

The tragic incident occurred during an argument with his wife, where he purportedly locked his 1-year-old and 3-year-old daughters inside his car and set it ablaze. 

Panzo was taken into custody on Saturday and has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, and arson, as Law&Crime, reported.

What did GBI report?

On Saturday, March 30, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office sought the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) in probing the deaths of Panzo's two daughters.

According to the GBI's investigation, Webster County deputies, along with county firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and the Georgia State Police, responded to numerous reports of a fire at a residence on Millard Kennedy Road in Preston, Georgia, approximately 150 miles south of Atlanta.

The GBI claimed, "After first responders put out the fire, they discovered two 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.” 

Webster County Fire Chief Cody Brown stated that firefighters responding to the scene were informed in advance that two children were involved in the fire.

He added, "My guys were told on the way to the call that there was two children in the car. They got on scene, pulled lines, and extinguished the fire, We’re still working to find out who called the fire in, but by the time the fire crew arrived, it was too late to save the children.”

How did death of 2 young children impact community?

The news of the fatal fire has deeply impacted the community.

One resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed, "I don’t know how fast the fire took off or if they suffered or if they [weren’t] suffering, I don’t know, it’s just really sad to hear about.."

Another community member shared similar sentiments, stating that discovering the victims were toddlers was "really sad."

The individual continued, "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.”

Authorities have not provided any details regarding the cause of the "domestic dispute" between Panzo and his wife, nor have they disclosed the cause of death for the daughters.

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 229-828-7503 or the GBI regional investigative office at 229-931-2439. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).