Three sisters are left without homes in the Antelope Street Extension area, following a family dispute at a birthday party on Saturday night. They allege that after the dispute, they were the targets of an arson, and so today we spoke with one of the fire victims who gave us more details. Jomarie Lanza reports:
First they crashed her birthday party, then they burned down her home. That's what 29 year old Anselma Flores told us today as she stood by and looked on at the charred remains of her house on Antelope Street Extension. She firmly believes that this was no accident, but instead it is the outcome of tensions and jealousy among family members. And all hell broke loose the night of her birthday celebration
Voice of: Anselma Flores, House Fire Victim
"People came to the party who were not supposed to come to the party like I had a dispute between two of my sisters. And I invited one and I didn't invite the other because the one that I didn't invite, she is a problem to the whole family. So before I break up my own party I didn't invite my other sister. I told her but when my mom and them said they were coming, they said you know what before problems come leave it alone."
"I went and I took my kids home, and as I was coming back home in less than 20 minutes that I came home back, my neighbor told me my sisters house came down, they burned it down. I started to cry and none of us knew. No one thought that anything would happen. I thought the fight would end right there."
But the fight didn't end there. These arsonists allegedly went on to burn down two more homes, including her's and a third sister.
Anselma Flores, House Fire Victim
"The problem is that she slapped someone and now they started to take things into their own hands now you understand. So now in less than 20 minutes again the neighbor called me and said my house is on fire. Now what did I do? Because I stopped them? I stopped them from fighting and my house got burned down for no reason. Now my baby can't go to school today we have nothing from since Saturday and no one knows how I built my house. I am a single mom of 2 and everyone back here is a couple. I have myself and my kids no one is here to protect us."
Now this single mother of two is left with nothing. Nothing but questions as to why or what she had done to deserve to be left without a home.
Anselma Flores, House Fire Victim
"My next sister she lost her house too its all three sisters who lost their house for no reason. It's something I told them to calm down with long time. I don't know how they can want a bloodbath and have me in it. Because I don't have anything to do with her, and I have nothing to do with her. They have their own beef. They came and crashed my party two of them. and then the next one she wants to hit and then a fight broke out from one angle to another angle and then just started and it was a commotion from my birthday party to burning down my house for what? What did I do?"
Anyone who wishes to assist Flores and her two children can reach out to her at 6229655
While police conduct an arson investigation - one of the sisters has asked for mediation to de-escalate the dispute.
