Laser cutter fumes suspected in deaths of California couple, cats

A young couple and two cats found dead in their Berkeley, Calif., apartment may have been overcome by fumes vented from a 3D printer, reports CBS News. 35-year-old Roger Morash and 32-year-old Valerie Morash were discovered in the morning by a visitor.

The source said that the couple was using a laser 3-D printer that was venting into their residence. Symptoms and signs consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning were found in their bodies.

Police evacuated the apartment building and called in PG&E and the fire departments hazardous materials team to look for a gas leak or some other hazard but no contaminant was found.

There's some alarm online about the identification of a 3D printer as generating carbon monoxide (the fine particles are a known risk). The source probably misidentified a another kind of machine such as a CNC or laser cutter.

There's a crowdfunding effort underway to support the victims' families; SFGate reports that a memorial for the Morashes was held Saturday.