Three dead in Montebello house fire linked to domestic violence

A predawn fire gutted a detached residential unit in Montebello on Thursday, killing a woman, her 13-year-old son and the man police identify as the suspect in what authorities called a domestic violence incident.

The deaths of Borquez and her son Atiel drew renewed attention to the threat posed by intimate partner violence in immigrant households across the Los Angeles area, where economic dependency and language barriers can prevent women from leaving dangerous relationships.

Montebello firefighters responded shortly after 4:30 a.m. to the 100 block of South Fifth Street, just south of Whittier Boulevard, where a detached unit had become engulfed in flames. Residents in nearby units were evacuated as crews worked to contain the blaze, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Neighbor Alisson Gomez, who lives in the front apartment at the address, described two people stumbling out of the burning structure in harrowing condition. "We just saw a man and a lady just burning. Honestly, all her skin was off. Her hair burnt off completely and she was just screaming for her son," Gomez said.

Both adults sustained severe burns and were transported to a hospital in critical condition. They later died. Borquez, who emigrated from Mexico a couple of years ago, was identified as one of the victims. Her son, Atiel, 13, was found dead inside the unit.

Montebello Police Department Chief Luis Lopez said investigators identified the adult male victim as the suspected perpetrator. "At this time, we believe that the male involved in this case is the suspect. This does appear to be a domestic violence related incident," Lopez said. Arson and police investigators gathered evidence at the scene.

Friend Hermalinda Anaya told ABC7 Los Angeles that Borquez had confided in her about the boyfriend's controlling behavior. "She told me she's so mad, she's so upset at all the things that he do. He tell her, 'I'm not gonna let you, nobody else be with you because I paid for your surgery, and I'm not gonna let you be with nobody else,'" Anaya said.

No additional charges had been announced as of the initial report, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Arson and police investigators continued processing the scene Thursday morning.