Quinones described Hethcoat as a good mother who had returned to school to learn drafting and design. After a decade of working at a lumber yard, Krystal was laid off and was supporting her family with unemployment, Quinones said.



"This is unreal," Quinones said. "I don't understand why this would happen. They don't have anything. Krystal lived check to check. She is a happy-go-lucky, happy mom. This is a mom that has sit-down family Sunday dinners. There was no reason for this."



Andre is a sophomore at Schurz High School, where he got all As and Bs, the aunt said. He had just brought home a stellar progress report and was excited to show it to his relatives.



"He was so proud of himself," she said.



The block where the family lives is lined with two-story wood-framed houses. Their home, with five Halloween headstones on the front lawn, sits across the street from St. Wenceslaus School, which is next to a church.