Texas Woman Charged With Capital Murder After Children Found Dead in Burning Car

A 34-year-old Texas woman, Marlene Vidal, was arrested Friday and charged with capital murder after her two young children were found dead inside a car that had been set on fire in a warehouse parking lot in San Antonio, authorities said. The children, ages 5 and 7, were discovered after firefighters extinguished the blaze, police said.

San Antonio Police Assistant Chief Jesus Salame said a person walking a dog spotted the burning vehicle and called 911 in the early morning hours, between about 5 and 6 a.m., to report the fire. Officers and firefighters responded to reports of a vehicle fire near a warehouse in the 500 block of Richland Hills Drive. Once the flames were put out, investigators located the bodies of the two children inside the small vehicle.

Police have identified Vidal as the mother of the children and said she was taken into custody following the investigation. At a news conference, Salame said surveillance video and statements made by Vidal indicate she was solely responsible for the deaths. He also said it remains unclear whether the children died before or after the car was set on fire, and the Bexar County medical examiner is still determining the cause of...