A second person, the 24-year-old brother of a teenager whose body was found earlier, has died from injuries suffered in an apparent homemade fireworks explosion and fire at an apartment complex in Bell Gardens that left one other person injured.
Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department were called at 6:08 p.m. Tuesday to the 6500 block of Purdy Avenue, south of East Gage Avenue, where they encountered heavy flames at the two-story complex following the explosion, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Firefighters extinguished the flames shortly before 7:10 p.m. The second floor of the complex appeared to have significant damage, with a large section of the front missing and parts of the roof collapsed, video from the scene showed.
A teenage boy died at the scene, while another boy and a man were taken to a hospital. The child was treated and released and the man was hospitalized in critical condition but later died, according to the fire department and relatives.
A resident told reporters at the scene the man appeared to have been badly burned.
Family members identified the deceased teenager as 13-year-old Carlos Hernandez and the man who died at a hospital as his 24-year-old brother, Christopher Benitez.
“Christopher Benitez was my younger brother, just 24 years old,” Benitez’s sister, Alexis, wrote on a GoFundMe page established to support the family. “He was a National Guard soldier, a full-time student, and a true family man. Chris was brave, fearless, smart, and kind — always there for everyone, helping in any way he could. He loved his pet dogs and our family deeply. His passion for cars and the military inspired him to pursue a future in law enforcement. Chris was also a dedicated member of our Catholic church community and loved being a mentor for the youth.”
She said Carlos Hernandez was “a child of god, and a big part of the church community.”
“… He participated as an altar boy and was a tremendous influence to boys in his age group being youngest brother, was only 13,” according to the GoFundMe page. “He was full of life, with a great sense of humor that made everyone smile, even during hard times. Carlos was a wonderful friend and an even better family member. He loved to cook, eat, and was a passionate gamer. Like Chris, he adored our family pets with his whole heart. Carlos was truly innocent and brought so much joy to everyone who knew him.”
About 60 firefighters took roughly an hour to put out the fire, which was visible from several blocks away.
“During their initial investigation and processing of the scene, (investigators) observed materials consistent with homemade explosives and fireworks,” according to an LASD statement, which said the blast appeared to be isolated “and there is no threat to the community.”
Emilio Guerrero, who lives in the area, said he saw “a big ball of fire” following the explosion.
Several families from the complex were displaced by the fire, and the American Red Cross assisted them with temporary housing, officials said.
The case remained under investigation by the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and the sheriff’s Arson Explosives Detail.
The explosion was being treated as a tragic accident, though investigators believe the brothers were assembling a homemade firework or explosive device when the blast occurred, a sheriff’s investigator said Thursday at a news conference outside the apartment building.
Anyone with information about the explosion was urged to contact the sheriff’s Arson Explosives Detail at 323-881-7500. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
The family’s GoFundMe page is at www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-chris-carlos-support-for-our-family.