Children found dead in Bellevue home; father arrested in California

BELLEVUE, Neb. (WOWT) - Hours after two children were found dead inside a Bellevue home Sunday, officials said their father was arrested in California.

Bellevue Police were looking for Adam Price, 35, after his two children — Theodore, 3, and Emily, 5 — were found dead inside a Bellevue home on Sunday morning. Price was located and arrested Sunday evening in Pacifica, Calif., located south of San Francisco. A map search shows that it takes 23 hours and 31 minutes to drive to Pacifica from Bellevue.

Investigators knew he was headed west when a license-plate reader in Nevada picked up Price’s plates.

Bellevue Police said they went to a home on the 2700 block of Alberta Avenue twice — once Saturday evening and once Sunday morning — to perform a wellness check on the two children and their father after receiving calls from the children’s mother, who lives in Illinois.

“She said she hadn’t heard from them for a couple of days per court order to have contact with them. Officers responded here, had no contact at the door, attempted phone contact with Adam Price,” BPD Capt. Andy Jashinske said.

While investigating both calls, police say there wasn’t enough evidence that would have let them be able to force entry into the home.

Bellevue Police and Fire went back to the home at 11:03 a.m., after friends of the family entered the home and found the children dead inside.

“I’m not sure if they forced entry or how they got in, but the friends were actually the individuals that found the children inside and they contacted police and we responded after that,” Jashinske said.

The children were confirmed dead when police and fire personnel arrived at the scene. Investigators said the deaths are suspicious.

6 News was at the scene and saw investigators go inside the home with evidence markers and others going through trash.

Neighbors in the area said they didn’t know the family well, but that the kids were often seen in front of the house or playing with other children in the area.

“I would see them out almost every day playing with their trucks and everything,” neighbor Patricia Otey said. “I saw them Wednesday out there playing and after Wednesday I never saw them. Never gave it a second thought that something was wrong with them.”

Neighbors also say they thought it was suspicious that Price had put the trash out on a Thursday when the trash in their neighborhood isn’t collected until Monday.

Adam Price is set to appear in a California court at 1:30 p.m. (Pacific time) Monday on felony fugitive charges.

Court records indicated that Price and Mary Nielsen, mother of the children, filed for divorce in December. Both sides had been arguing over custody, with joint custody awarded by a judge — requiring either parent to allow contact with the kids while in the care of the other. When Nielsen, who lives in Illinois, couldn’t get in touch with them this weekend, she began contacting police.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family to help with expenses.

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