Colts Neck mansion fire: Deaths of 4 family members believed homicide and brother arrested

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
2 children, 2 adults found dead at Colts Neck mansion fire
Jim Dolan has the latest on the deadly mansion fire in Colts Neck.

COLTS NECK, New Jersey -- The brother of a man found dead along with his wife and two children after a fire in Colts Neck, New Jersey, is in custody.

Paul Caneiro, the brother of Keith Caneiro, is now in custody at the Monmouth County jail. Paul Caneiro was arrested on a charge of aggravated arson in connection with the suspicious fire earlier Tuesday at his own home in Ocean Twp. Officials believe that fire is related to the one at Keith Caneiro's home.

Officials said the fire is being investigated as an arson. Wednesday morning, an official said that investigators believe that all four of the dead are victims of homicide.

The two adults and two children were found dead after a large and suspicious fire broke out at a mansion.

Detectives at this point do not believe it was a murder-suicide.

They responded to the fire in Colts Neck around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. A heavy fire presence was at the scene, and smoke was billowing from the building.

Officials said the body of one male victim was found in the front yard, and the three remaining were found badly burned inside the home. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death on all four victims.

Monmouth County officials are investigating the Colts Neck fire and another fire that broke out in Ocean Township around 5:20 a.m.Tuesday.

The home in the Ocean Township is owned by a relative of the registered owner of the Colts Neck fire. Both fires appear to be suspicious. The prosecutor declined to comment on a link other than to say, "It's something we're investigating."

According to Zillow, the 5,784-square-foot single family home was built in 2003. Public records show the home is owned by technology CEO Keith Caneiro, 50, and Jennifer Caneiro, 45.

Caneiro's LinkedIn profile describes him as the CEO and chief technology officer for a company in the New York City area called Square One. His profile says he graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Science degree in 2018 and previously received certifications from Harvard Business School's online platform.

Colts Neck is a well-to-do community about 50 miles south of New York City and is home to horse farms. Typical homes in the town of 10,000 are valued at about $750,000.

Bruce Springsteen owns an estate there, and his son is a former member of the fire department.

Former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart and his wife operate an animal sanctuary there; Queen Latifah sold her mansion there in 2015.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.