SOUTHPORT, N.Y. (WENY) -- Carbon monoxide exposure sent five individuals in Southport to the hospital Tuesday night, killing one of them.  Police say they believe a gas generator was running inside a condemned home on 1216 Charles Street, leading to the death of homeowner Richard Keyser.

“The home was deemed uninhabitable, and the owners were only allowed to be there during the day to conduct any repairs,” Chemung Co. Sheriff Bill Schrom said, adding, “They could not stay there overnight and occupy it otherwise,”  

Schrom added he believes Keyser was running a gas-powered generator out of his bathroom to avoid anyone finding out he was there. He says the home was condemned on July 28th, when Southport Code Enforcement found electrical issues with the property.  

“The assumption is that's why they were running the generator inside the home out of the bathroom,” Schrom said, adding, “To avoid detection of anybody knowing they were actually in there when they were supposed to be."

Following a garage fire on January 6th, Code Enforcement cut gas and electricity to the property. Schrom believes Keyser brought in the gas-powered generator so they could run electricity into the home after cutting the power. 

“You can still get a draft through an open window, cracks in the door, or whatever the case may be, which can cause problems that we saw last night, so the consequences could be fatal,” Schrom said.