By Sadef Ali Kully
An NYPD Sergeant found his elderly parents and family friends dead in a possible case of carbon monoxide poisoning in Floral Park on Friday afternoon said neighbors and police.
Sgt. Robert Hugel could not get in touch with his parents and rushed to their home on 260-08 86 Avenue in Floral Park said neighbors.
Sgt. Hugel found his father, Jerry Hugel, 83, in the garage, his mother Marie Hugel, 80, in the kitchen near the garage, and two friends, Gloria Greco, 70, who lived on the second floor, and Walter Von Thadden, 76, from Whitestone, scattered around home said neighbors.
Police responded to the 911 call at 3:13 p.m, and found the Hugels, Greco, and Von Thadden unconscious and unresponsive, with no signs of trauma, said police.
Emergency responders declared the four victims deceased at the scene, according to police.
The home had been cleared by the FDNY for carbon minoxide and was not a danger to neigboring residents, said neighbors.
Jerry, a beer salesman, and Marie Hugel were married for 60 years with five children had lived in neighborhood for over 30 years, said neighbors who were still shocked by the incident.
“I heard the sirens and then you could see the police, they were here quickly,” said Mike Gratzer, 50, who lives down the street from the Hugels. “Our family has known them many, many years. It is just the saddest thing.”
The Hugels, proud of their German roots, were a part of the Schlierachtaler Stamm, a traditional Bavarian dance club located near Franklin Square, said neighbors.
“They used to come out dressed in their cute outfits,” said Gratzer. “Just the sweetest people. You would never think in a million years that this would happen.”
The Facebook page of the Bavarian dance club showed the couple taking part in dances and dressed up in traditional Bavarian dress and lederhosen. According to the dance club’s website, Jerry Hugel was president of the club until 2013.
Their son, Sgt. Robert Hugel, 57, is a member of the NYPD’s Technical Assistance Response Unit, said police.
The medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death, said police authorities.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
