Parents arrested after Burbank apartment catches fire with 3 children locked in bedroom, police say

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- Two parents have been arrested after their children were found locked inside of a bedroom of an apartment in Burbank that caught fire early Thursday morning.

At around 2:15 a.m., Burbank Police responded to the 1600 block of Grismer Avenue regarding reports of an apartment fire with children trapped inside.

When officers arrived, they saw smoke coming from one unit on the second floor and were told by neighbors that young children were trapped.

Police said officers rushed into the locked apartment where they could hear the kids yelling.

"Without hesitation, these five officers made their way through the apartment and came upon a locked bedroom door where the children were still heard screaming," said Burbank PD Sgt. Brent Fekety. "The officers forced that door open, picked up the three children and brought them to safety outside of the apartment, saving all three."

All three children, ages 3, 5, and 6, were sent to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Investigators said the parents, identified as 38-year-old Aldo Prado and 27-year-old Jennifer Ray, locked their children in the bedroom to walk to a local convenience store.

Both Prado and Ray were arrested and booked for child neglect, a felony, and are being held in on $100,000 bail.

They're both set to appear in court on Friday.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation