A man and a woman committed suicide at a motel on Blackstone and Ashlan avenues in early May using a method that is widely circulated on the internet and poses a threat to first-responders and others, the Fresno County Coroner reported Monday.
The deaths were reported May 4 at the motel, where the bodies of the two were found by a maintenance worker, who reported “toxic fumes“ coming from their room.
The bodies of the two were found wearing respirator masks and there was some sort of chemical-making process inside the room, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer reported at the scene. The Fresno Fire Hazmat team was called to the motel and and six people, including maintenance workers, were treated at a hospital in connection with the fumes.
Fresno County Coroner spokesman Tony Botti said the dangers of such fumes have prompted a nationwide warning to police and firefighters who might encounter a similar situation, either in a car or a building.