Middletown woman and dog die in house fire

MIDDLETOWN — An 18-year-old woman died while her mother and others safely escaped a fire in their home on Tuesday morning.

The fire was reported at a home on Neptune Place around 6:45, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. The body of 18-year-old Aubree Larusso was found in a bedroom. The prosecutor's office said Larusso's brother and a family friend also escaped the fire unharmed.

The family dog was found dead in the home.

The prosecutor's office said the cause of the fire is believed to be accidental. The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the prosecutor's office, the Monmouth County Fire Marshal's Office and the Middletown Police Department.

The prosecutor's office encouraged anyone with information about the fire to call Detective Kevin Condon at 1-800-533-7433 or Detective Albert Scott at 732-775-1996.