A 24-year-old man died on New Year's night when he was trapped inside his burning home. Police say that Mauricio Rodriguez was out drinking on December 31st, and perished in the blaze after he went home. We today spoke To family members who are trying to understand exactly how it is that their relative died.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Sometime around 8p.m. on New Year's Day 24 year old Mauricio Rodriguez came here to his home at the corner of Seagull and Piper Streets in San Pedro town to take a shower. Shortly after that, the small plywood structure became engulfed in flames. Rodriguez would not leave the building again. His brother Joaquin along with other family members are now searching for a cause for the fire.
Joaquin Rodriquez, Brother
"The friends who he was drinking with said that yes he was nice but not drunk like to say he wasn't able to defend himself in anyway or that he was incapacitated; he was just 'nice up.' According to information we got, they said that he was taking a shower in the bathroom when the fire started and he came out in the hall and he saw the flames and the door, the entrance and everything, was already engulfed and he wasn't able to free himself or run out of the place because the whole place was locked up. They said he took the stove and covered himself in a corner and try to protect himself but when they turned off the fire, when the fire engine from the station went there to out the fire, they said that they didn't know somebody was inside. They didn't know anything, nobody told them anything, and nobody said anything until they went inside and they discovered he was still inside."
Adi Martinez, Neighbor
[Video Footage and Interview Courtesy Ron Sniffin] "The owner of the house noticed that at about 10 o'clock there was smoke coming out of the house. At that very moment the police truck was passing by and they came here running. They broke in and then all the fire started coming out."
Joaquin Rodriquez,
"According to the inspectors who went and look after the place, they are claiming that the fire started from inside. Well I guess we will just to have accept that."
But while he says they have to console themselves with that, Joaquin says they are not too happy with the results because Mauricio was known to have had many friends and along with that many enemies who may have wanted to kill him.
Joaquin Rodriquez,
"My brother's life was always surrounded by a lot of mystery and he was somebody who always felt like he was in danger. I understand that there have been several attempts on his life already. He also had a lot of enemies and even when my mother used to ask him 'what happened', he never used to talk or say nothing so as not to bring worries to the family or anything. From what I understand, he got his job and he had settled down a lot but I don't know what occurred. There was an attempt about approximately 2 weeks ago. I have another younger brother who was sleeping inside the house and they try to light it from outside. Probably there is somebody out there who saw something or knows something and maybe they don't want to say anything to the police or probably they might just want to speak to us about it and we would just want to have that satisfaction for ourselves about what happened. I am know sure what exactly happened but they said that they didn't like him anything at all in the neighborhood. They plugged out the electricity from the house just because its him because they say its not him paying the rent, its my mother. So they plugged it out from him eventhough she paid the rent for the location. They are saying that maybe he lit a candle, they are saying that maybe he left the stove on, they are saying maybe he left a cigarette on, but I mean all the details and all the facts all seems too sketchy to me until I go there myself and see what happened. I am not satisfied because from what happened before, there was already an attempt already so I am not satisfied."
Because of the family's suspicions that foul play may have been involved Fire investigators will return to the scene tomorrow to conduct further examinations.
