Five days following the tragic event, elizabeth rivers It is still not explained what might have caused the fire that cost the lives of his son and three grandchildren in his residence in Philadelphiabut she is convinced that her offspring did everything possible to save her family, to the point of dying in the attempt.
The fire began in the early hours of last Monday in the house, located on Hartville Street in the Kensington neighborhood, while Alexis Arroyo Rioshis wife, Jasmine Santana Vega, and her three children slept. When the couple realized the emergency, Alexis took her wife and threw her out a window with the intention of doing the same with her children so that the woman would catch them when they fell, but this did not happen. Only Santana Vega was left alive in the midst of the emergency.
Ríos has no doubt that Arroyo Ríos chose to die with her children Alexangel, 12, Yadriel, 9, and Yamalier, 5, when she was unable to reach them to save them, according to the testimonies told by the family of the mother who survived and neighbors of the community where the tragedy occurred.
“What I know so far is that my son tried to save his wife by throwing her out the window and then he threw the babies at her and she caught them downstairs, but when he gets to the room he cannot assimilate what he is seeing and screams ‘My God, why is this happening to me?’”, said the woman regarding the way in which the tragedy occurred.
“He mightn’t save any of the kids and he burned me there too. My son is a hero, he had the gates of heaven open. He thought that if his children burned, so would he. He tried to save them, but he mightn’t.”added the man’s mother, who was 37 years old.
On the day of the emergency, the Philadelphia Fire Commissioner, Adam Thiel, indicated to questions from local media that following extinguishing the fire they found the bodies of the three minors in the same place. He also described that the fire in the two-story residence spread too quickly, which reduced the chances of a rescue by the authorities.
Currently, confirmed Ríos, the reasons why the fire occurred are unknown.
So far this year, 21 people have died in fires in Philadelphia, including the four Puerto Ricans.
“Alexis lived in his house, because that was his house, it was not rented. He had been living there (in Philadelphia) for 12 years with his wife and his three children. My grandchildren were all born there, ”said her mother.
He added that they are exploring the possibility of bringing the bodies to Puerto Rico, to carry out their burial in Sabana Grande, where Alexis was from.
“There have been many people who have given us emotional and financial support to move those bodies here and be able to bury them. We have a grave in the town of Sabana Grande that they are handing over to us next week to give my children a Christian burial,” said Ríos.
Regarding the health of Santana Vega, he commented that the woman is stable and conscious, although at some point this Friday she will undergo a new surgery.
“After that, he will be kept under observation and then he will participate in his family’s wake there (in Philadelphia). We will try to reach out to support you. She (Jasmine) is stable and conscious. She knows everything that happened, ”she pointed out.
Ríos took the opportunity, in turn, to thank the support they have received since the emergency broke and requested financial aid to be able to carry out the process of transferring the bodies of his son and grandchildren.
“We, the Arroyo Ríos family from here in Sabana Grande, are completely grateful to the people of Puerto Rico and the United States for the emotional support that we so much need and the prayers that they have given us. It is true that it is a great pain that we will never be able to erase from our lives, but we are very grateful”, he expressed.
If you wish to help this family financially, you can send your contribution via ATH Móvil to (787) 543-3587 or by making a deposit in the Banco Popular account with number: 719-424478.
