A mother and her young daughter are dead after a house fire in New Jersey.
When the blaze broke out early Friday morning, Jacqueline Montanaro, 40, initially escaped the flames with her husband and their 8-year-old daughter Elena. But she soon realized her 6-year-old daughter Madelyn was still inside.
William Montanaro said his wife ran back into their burning home to rescue their daughter, but neither made it out.
"Jackie was a hero," Montanaro said in a statement posted on Twitter. "Without hesitation Jackie then charged in with a mother's love and the courage of a police officer fueling her attempt to save our daughter."
"I am heartbroken," he added. "I have lost the love of my life -- my beautiful wife, Jackie -- and my sweet, loving, spunky little girl, Madelyn."
The family's dog Duchess, who was initially thought to be missing amid the blaze, also died in the fire, WABC reported.
"We are extremely devastated Duchess is no longer with us, but we must remember she is now at rest alongside Jackie and Madelyn," the family said in a statement, thanking those who helped search for the Goldendoodle.
A cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials say it does not appear to be suspicious.
A candlelight vigil was held in memory of Jacqueline Montanaro, a Customs and Border Protection officer, and her daughter on Tuesday.
A GoFundMe account for the family has raised more than $315,000.
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