TOLEDO – Police say three children, their uncle, and their grandmother have been found dead inside an Ohio garage in what appears to be a murder-suicide.

A truck was running with hoses leading from the exhaust into a car in the family’s Toledo garage Monday. Inside the car were the bodies of 54-year-old Sandy Ford; her 32-year-old son, Andy Ford; and her grandchildren, Paige, Logan and Madalyn Hayes. The children were 10, 6 and 5.

Sandy Ford’s husband called police Monday to say he found suspicious notes in the house and couldn’t enter the garage.

Sgt. Joe Heffernan says the children had been primarily living with their grandparents, but their parents were trying to regain full custody. He says Sandy Ford was upset about that, and he believes that was the motive.

A flatbed car-hauler was seen backing in toward the garage hours after the bodies were found.

The residential neighborhood is close to the Ohio-Michigan state line.

Neighbors said an older couple and their adult son lived at the house and three children were there often but did not live with them.

Doug Hall, a neighbor who lives across the street, said he saw the son and kids raking leaves last week.

He said the only unusual thing he’s noticed was a police car at the house last Thursday.

He said he didn’t know why it was there.

Another neighbor also said he saw the kids helping with yard work and playing in leaves just a few days ago.

“One minute they’re doing the leaves, and then the next there are cop cars all over,” Eric Pieper said.