Authorities say a father, who is in police custody, tried to kill his family Friday morning by trapping them inside their burning apartment in Wakefield.

They say he poured scalding grease on his teenage son and daughter, who was holding her 2-month-old infant, before throwing it on the mother of his children and a grandmother who were also in the fifth floor apartment on East 236th Street.

Police say the stove of the apartment caught fire after the man burned his family with grease. The man then tried to escape while trapping his family inside the apartment.

Neighbors held him down until authorities arrived and rushed all five family members to the hospital for their burns.

The family members suffered burns that are not considered to be life threatening.

The father was also taken to an area hospital for a psychological evaluation.

Police have not released his name and charges are pending.