Police are investigating the unexplained deaths after four people were discovered unconscious inside a Burger Avenue residence Monday afternoon.
DALLAS, TX — Three people were found dead and a fourth person was taken to a hospital in critical condition after emergency crews discovered four people unconscious inside a South Dallas home Monday afternoon, authorities said.
Dallas police responded about 1:12 p.m. Aug. 31 to the 2700 block of Burger Avenue after Dallas Fire-Rescue requested assistance. A preliminary investigation found four unconscious people inside the residence. Fire-Rescue personnel determined that three had died and transported the fourth person to a hospital.
Police said the deaths are being investigated as unexplained, and authorities had not announced a cause as of Tuesday. Investigators were still working to determine the circumstances that caused all four people inside the home to become unconscious.
The hospitalized person was reported in critical condition in subsequent local news reports. Authorities have not publicly described that person’s injuries or provided further information about the medical condition that led to the hospitalization.
Investigators had not reported clear signs of trauma or foul play at the home. WFAA, citing a police source, reported that officers also did not find drug paraphernalia or indications of a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning. Those findings have not established what caused the deaths, and officials have not announced a final determination.
Neighbors told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth that there appeared to have been a gathering in the area before emergency crews arrived. Police have not said whether any gathering was connected to the deaths, and no official account has established what happened inside the home before the four people were found.
Police initially did not publicly identify the people found inside the residence. Later reporting identified one of the people who died as 31-year-old Martin Rodela Jr., citing medical examiner information. The identities of the other people had not been publicly released in the reports reviewed.
The home is in South Dallas near Malcolm X Boulevard and roughly a mile south of Fair Park. Dallas police spokesman Corbin Rubinson said investigators were examining the manner and circumstances of the deaths. Dallas Fire-Rescue described its initial response as a medical call.
No arrests or suspects had been announced, and police had not identified a criminal cause for the deaths. The investigation remained open as authorities awaited additional information that could explain why the four people were found unconscious.
Author note: Last updated September 2, 2026.