Yesterday, a two-alarm fire broke out in a Corona home and after firefighters put it out, they found the body of 5-year-old Jason Guallpa, curled up behind a TV. The police later arrested his 24-year-old brother Diego with endangering the welfare of a child.
Diego Guallpa was supposed to be baby-sitting his younger brother, but he decided to meet his accountant and file his tax returns. He left little Jason in the home alone (a neighbor noticed the door was locked and didn't hear any noises); though 100 firefighters arrived, they didn't know a child was in the first-floor apartment (there was also "heavy fire upon arrival").
FDNY Assistant Chief John Acerno said, "Sometimes, children in a fire will go into a corner or try to go into a toy chest or a closet and try to hide from the fire. That's what it looks like here...The 5-year-old was found in the bedroom, behind a TV, with a lot of debris on top of him."
The fire, which was not deemed suspicious, started in the kitchen. The mother, Elvia Guallpa, who works as a housekeeper, cried, "I didn't leave him home alone, I left him with his brother."
