NEW ORLEANS - Two people were pronounced dead after they were found unconscious in a running vehicle inside a New Orleans East garage Thursday.

Family members told WWL that Michael Willis Jr. and his girlfriend were found dead in the garage on Briarheath Drive early Thursday morning. The New Orleans Police Department said officers responded to the scene after a neighbor called and said they heard a car running in a garage for about 45 minutes.

Officers found smoke in the garage and an unresponsive man in the front seat. An unresponsive woman was found lying across the rear seat.

Authorities say the incident remains under investigation.