Mother, 4 Children Found Dead In Apartment

Staff and Wire Reports

EL RENO, Oklahoma - A woman and four children were found dead Monday in an El Reno apartment, police said.

El Reno police received a call about 4 p.m. to check on the welfare of occupants of a unit at the Elizabeth Place Apartments near Oklahoma 66 and U.S. 81, said Jessica Brown, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

"An officer went inside the residence and found multiple dead bodies," Brown said. "He backed out and called for help."

El Reno Police did not release the victims names. Friends and neighbors identified them as Summer Rust and her children, including 8-year-old Kirsten, 7-year-old Autumn, 4-year-old Tegean, and 3-year-old Evan Garris.

Rust's friends said she moved to El Reno from Springfield, Missouri to attend Redlands Community College. She wanted to work for the Department of Human Services.

Authorities are looking for a 1989 white Ford Thunderbird with possible front-end damage and black molding down the side. Investigators don't have a license tag number, Brown said.

"We're looking for the vehicle as well as the person driving it," she said. "We're hoping that person can help with a timeline of what happened today."

An account has been set up to help pay for funeral costs. If you would like to donate, please send donations to:

Canadian State Bank
Attn: Summer Garas-Rust Family Trust Fund
220 S. Bickford Avenue
El Reno, OK 73036

Donations can also be made at the Lucky Star Casino.