Police said all four people were found unconscious and the deaths remain classified as unexplained while investigators search for a cause.
DALLAS, Texas — Three people were found dead and a fourth person was hospitalized in critical condition after emergency crews discovered four unconscious people inside a South Dallas home Monday afternoon, authorities said.
Dallas police responded at about 1:12 p.m. Aug. 31 to the 2700 block of Burger Avenue after Dallas Fire-Rescue requested assistance. Firefighters determined that three of the four people had died and transported the fourth person to a hospital. Police said the deaths remained under investigation as unexplained, with no official cause announced.
Dallas Fire-Rescue said the original response was for a medical call. Univision reported that firefighters received the call shortly after 12:39 p.m., before police arrived at the residence near Malcolm X Boulevard. Authorities have not publicly explained what prompted the emergency call or who first reported the four people unconscious inside the home.
Police spokesman Corbin Rubinson said investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Authorities had not classified the case as a homicide or announced evidence establishing that a crime occurred. No arrests or suspects had been announced in connection with the investigation.
The surviving person was described in subsequent reports as a woman who remained in critical condition. Authorities have not publicly released her name or provided a detailed medical update explaining why she and the other three people lost consciousness.
One of the people who died was identified in subsequent news reports as 31-year-old Martin Rodela Jr., citing medical examiner information. The identities of the other two people who died had not been publicly released in the reports reviewed. Authorities also had not disclosed the relationships, if any, among the four people found inside the residence.
Questions remained about what investigators encountered inside the house. People reported, citing WFAA and a police source, that officers did not find drug paraphernalia, signs of trauma or foul play, or indications of a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning. Police have not publicly identified a substance, medical condition or environmental hazard as the cause, and those reported observations do not establish what happened.
Neighbors told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth that what appeared to be a gathering had taken place in the area before emergency crews arrived. Univision reported that neighbors saw numerous vehicles arriving at the house during the morning. Police have not said whether the gathering was connected to the deaths, and the neighbors’ accounts do not establish what happened inside the home.
The residence is in a residential section of South Dallas near Malcolm X Boulevard and south of Fair Park. Emergency crews and investigators remained focused on the property after the discovery as police worked to determine why four people were found unconscious in the same location.
The official causes and manners of death remained undetermined in the latest reports reviewed. Dallas police continued to classify the investigation as an unexplained-death case, with additional findings expected only after investigators and medical examiners complete their work.
Author note: Last updated September 2, 2026.