SAN PEDRO, Calif. (KTLA) — The fire that that injured a dozen people at a motel in San Pedro is now a homicide investigation.
Arson investigators say a man critically injured in Tuesday mornings blaze has died.
The San Pedro Motel, on the 1000 block of Palos Verdes Street, went up in flames around 3:30 a.m.
“I was hearing a lot of yelling and screaming and stuff. I just panicked,” a resident said.
“The smoke was so thick I couldn’t see anything. There were two people in front of me and I couldn’t see them,” another resident added.
A fire company that was coming back from an emergency medical response spotted the smoke.
“What they encountered was a two-story apartment building with heavy fire on the first floor in the rear,” said LAFD Capt. Jaime Moore.
“It was fully occupied. This is 14 units with people living inside, and people threatening to jump because of the smoke and heat being generated by this fire.”
Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames in about 15 to 20 minutes.
Investigators later ruled the cause of the fire as arson.
A former resident, Justin Boyd, said that he was not surprised the fire happened.
“It’s a bad building health wise. It’s so bad, every Friday the health inspector comes to inspect all the rooms to make sure it’s up to code,” Boyd said.
The residential motel was built in 1923.
KTLA spoke with Kris Mandalia, who had owed the motel for 10 years.
“We had a housing inspection last December. We passed,” Mandalia said.
The LAFD treated 14 people for injuries.
Twelve of the injured were transported to the hospital, including three in critical condition.
One of those critical patients, a 69-year-old man, died overnight.
He has not been identified.
12 Comments to “Victim of San Pedro Motel Fire Dies; Blaze Ruled Arson”
January 22, 2013 at 5:18 AM
Reagan. if you, thought Lucille`s blurb is surprising, on friday I bought a great new Acura from making $9447 this last five weeks and-also, ten-grand this past month. it's certainly my favourite-work I have ever had. I began this eight months/ago and pretty much immediately began to bring in minimum $74.. per hour. I follow this great link, http://xurl.es/uqnzx
January 22, 2013 at 5:51 AM
Sure, it would be great to click on your link it's only that the people on it are soulless and try to make money on stories of people being injured and jumping from burning buildings. >:(
Please take more care in what stories you choose when spamming. Thanx
January 23, 2013 at 3:57 PM
I agree!!!!my niece is in the hospital from this fire…
January 23, 2013 at 5:35 PM
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she fully recovers. I also hope that whoever started this fire gets what's coming to them.
January 23, 2013 at 6:43 PM
before I looked at the receipt 4 $8386, I did not believe …that…my mom in-law woz realy erning money parttime online.. there friend brother has been doing this for only a year and resently paid the mortgage on there home and bought a new Citroën DS. this is where I went, ,….. BIT40.ℂOℳ
January 24, 2013 at 5:07 AM
what Bobby responded I'm startled that a mother can earn $6709 in one month on the computer. did you read this web page http://xurl.es/17z95