Father arrested after New Orleans house fire killed his three children, police say

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans police say the father of three children who died in an overnight house fire has been arrested and faces three counts of second-degree murder. The arrest of Joseph Washington was announced at a Wednesday news conference where police chief Anne Kirkpatrick lamented what she called a “horrific” incident of domestic violence. Police say the victims were a 3-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. Police said the children’s mother called 911 shortly before midnight Tuesday saying that their father planned to burn the house down. The mother was not at home at the time. Moments later, the fire was reported.