Calif. House Fire: Woman Found Dead, Children Believed Missing - East Idaho News
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Calif. House Fire: Woman Found Dead, Children Believed Missing

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HT hannah ethan anderson dm 130806 16x9 992?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1375818664048Missing persons Ethan, left, and Hannah Anderson are shown in these photos from a Facebook page set-up to aid in their search. (Facebook )(BOULEVARD, Calif.) — A massive search is underway for a man who may have kidnapped the two children of a woman who was found dead in his scorched California home, authorities said.

James Lee DiMaggio, 40, of Boulevard, Calif., is suspected of killing Christina Anderson, 44, and abducting one or both of her children, Hannah Anderson, 16, and Ethan Anderson, 8, according to a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department news release.

Anderson’s two children had been abducted about 5 p.m. on Saturday, according to California Highway Patrol. It is believed one or both of them may have been abducted by DiMaggio, the news release said.

About 8 p.m. Sunday, fire officials were called to put out a blaze at DiMaggio’s Boulevard, Calif., home and its detached garage.

Inside one of the burning buildings, they found the mother’s body, police said. Authorities said Anderson had been murdered, but would not provide additional details.

Investigators also found a dead dog and the body of a child while searching the burned buildings, according to the sheriff’s department. It is unclear if the body found was one of Anderson’s children, and the cause of death is not known at this time.

DiMaggio and Anderson “were in a close platonic relationship,” according to the sheriff’s department.

DiMaggio was last seen driving a blue Nissan Versa with California license plates, and is believed to be heading to either Texas or Canada, according to California Highway Patrol.

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