Two People, Two Cats Mysteriously Dead In Berkeley Apartment, Carbon Monoxide Leak Ruled Out

There were no signs of trauma and in fact no clues at all as to what might have killed two people and two cats in a Berkeley apartment yesterday. CBS 5 and the AP reported that the building, on the 3000 block of Deakin Street, was evacuated, but that other residents have been given the all clear to return.

"As their cause of death is not immediately apparent, the building [was] evacuated out of an abundance of caution,” the Berkeley Police told local news outlets. The department has classified the two deaths as a “suspicious circumstance.”

Deputy Fire Chief Dave Brannigan also reports that his firefighters and a PG&E Electric crew team ruled out hazardous causes like carbon monoxide poisoning.

A neighbor who spoke with ABC 7 News identified the two deceased people as a man and a woman in their 30s. One body was apparently discovered first, and police responded to a call at about 1 p.m. yesterday. Investigators then found the other body and the two dead cats. Berkeleyside reports that the case is with the coroner's office for further analysis.