A little girl has been hailed a hero after keeping herself and her two-month-old brother alive for three days after their parents' murder-suicide.
The three-year-old and her brother were allegedly left alone after their father, David Kooros Parsa, killed his wife, Mihoko Koike Parsa.
He then took his own life in their home in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles.
They were rescued on Sunday afternoon when officers responded after a concerned grandfather had phoned the police. Neighbours had also reported hearing arguments, according to Fox News.
The grandfather was aware of his son's mental health issues, depression and stress, said Detective Bob Dinlocker in a press conference.
The police went to check the property at 9am on April 18 but left after finding nothing amiss.
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By the afternoon, the grandfather had arranged for a real estate agent who had access to the property and several neighbours to enter the house, where they found the baby boy inside his crib and the girl waiting by the door.
They searched the house and found the parents' bodies in the bedroom.
"Our little angel was able to keep herself and her brother alive. She is a hero in my eyes," said Los Angeles Police Captain Maureen Ryan.
Officers said the toddler and the baby were dehydrated and hungry. They were unharmed but were taken to local hospital for a checkup.
LAPD Detective Dave Peteque said there were no indication the children witnessed the shooting.
But neighbours who helped rescue the children said the girl remembered hearing her mother crying and a loud noise, according to Daily News.
Both of the children were taken into the custody of the Department of Child and Family Services and are doing well and healthy.
Captain Ryan said a Japanese consulate official had contacted Mihoko Koike Parsa's family in Japan.
