Milwaukee fatal apartment fire, family appeals for change in law
Fatal fire, family appeals for change in law
Loved ones are remembering a 4-year-old girl killed in a Milwaukee apartment fire on Monday, July 14. They are also asking for help for the child's mother.
MILWAUKEE - Loved ones are remembering a 4-year-old girl killed in a Milwaukee apartment fire on Monday, July 14. They are also asking for help for the child's mother.
Family appeals for help
What we know:
There might be no greater pain than when a family loses a child.
Alejandra and Ana Angeles
Alejandra and Ana Angeles are devastated their 4-year-old cousin is now gone.
What they're saying:
"This happened all of a sudden. No one expects for this to happen," said Ana Angeles.
"She always had the biggest smile. She was like a ray of sunshine," said Alejandra Angeles. "She liked to be on her bicycle, go to the lake, dress up in her dresses."
Xiomara Jeronimo
Xiomara Jeronimo died after a fire tore through an apartment building at 32nd and Wells in Milwaukee. Her mother, Katherina Velasquez, was critically hurt. She is still unaware that her daughter is dead.
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"She is in a coma and hasn’t fully woken up," Ana Angeles said.
The child's father was at work when the fire began. He has been at his wife's side since Monday, now planning a funeral for their daughter.
Xiomara Jeronimo
"He’s just really devastated that he has to do it alone without the input of Katherina," Ana Angeles said.
Apartment building fire
The backstory:
Crews arrived to the building on Monday morning and found fire on the first floor. They had to force their way into a locked unit where they found the 4-year-old girl and her mother, unconscious.
Fire officials said alarms sounded but there were no sprinklers in the building. Sprinklers are not required in apartments built before 1974.
As the family remembers the little girl with a big smile, they are now advocating for changes to the law, no matter the cost.
"This could’ve potentially been avoided," Ana Angeles said. "There isn’t a price on a human life. This is something that impacts a family forever. You’ll never get over this."
Way to support family
What you can do:
A GoFundMe account has since been set up to support the family.
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What's next:
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Fire Department is working to determine the cause of this fire.
The Source: The information in this post was provided in part by the Milwaukee Fire Department.