Riverside triple murder: Victims were husband, wife and daughter, neighbors say

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- A family of three was remembered during a vigil in Riverside Saturday night after they were tragically found dead after a fire broke out at their home the day after Thanksgiving.

According to neighbors, Mark and Sharie Winek lived at the home in the 11000 block of Price Court with their youngest daughter Brooke.

According to Ofc. Ryan Railsback with the Riverside Police Department, officers conducted a welfare check at the home on Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

He said the call came in regarding some sort of disturbance that was reported between a man and a woman near a vehicle.

"Before [officers] arrived and shortly after that call, some calls came into our dispatch center regarding a fire or smoke being seen at the same location," he said. "The fire department arrived on scene first and during the course of extinguishing the fire, they notified our officers they found three people deceased inside the house."

Police believe all three family members were dead before the fire broke out.

During Saturday night's vigil, neighbors told Eyewitness News the family was always neighborly and went out of their way to help the community. The victims' family was in attendance but did not wish to speak with the media.

Some said they are devastated.

"I just want everyone to know how loving they were. They don't deserve this. I'm not eating. I'm not sleeping. It just hit me very, very hard," said Bonnie Davis, who said she has lived nextdoor to the Wineks for two decades. "They were just that type people that you would just never wake up to think that you would hear this of them."

A woman who wished to be identified only as Joi organized Saturday's vigil and told Eyewitness News she was new to the Riverside neighborhood before hearing the news.

"When I heard that news, I just dropped to my stomach like, 'What do you mean they didn't make it?'" she said.

Joi recalls Mark Winek stepping up to help when he learned she was a single mom. According to a GoFundMe set up for the family, he coached young athletes at Arlington High School.

"He said right away, 'I'm going to mow your lawn, I'm going to help you out when you're not here,'" said Joi.

Though the family of the victims did not speak to Eyewitness News directly, they did issue a public statement to those who attended the vigil, saying "Thank you for being here honoring my family and respecting our privacy at this time."

Meanwhile, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirmed that deputies shot and killed a person in Needles on Friday who was "connected" this case. Details regarding how the person was connected to the case or his or her identity were not released.

A spokesperson for the department said a separate person, a woman who was in the vehicle at the time, was not injured and is safe with law enforcement.

"This is a multi-agency investigation and it's taking time to sort through and confirm all the details," read a statement issued by the department.

There's no official information regarding a suspect or suspects.

"I know that God will take care of business," said Joi. "So whatever happens to that person. If they are still alive or if they are gone, I know that God will take care of business at the end of the day."

To help the Winek family, you can visit the GoFundMe that has been set up for the family.