A mother, her teenage son and her boyfriend died in a California house fire, and investigators reportedly believe the boyfriend started the fire before their tragic deaths.
Rossy Borquez, her boyfriend and her 13-year-old son, Atiel, have been identified as the three victims of a fire at Borquez’s home in Montebello that broke out in the early hours of Thursday, May 14, according to KTLA.
The Montebello Police Department said in a news release that authorities reported to the home around 4:30 a.m. and discovered the home “fully engulfed” in fire. Officers found an adult man and woman, who have since been identified as Borquez and her boyfriend, with “severe burns” in front of the home.
The police department said that the couple was transported to a local hospital, where they later died of their injuries. A third victim was found dead in the home and was later identified as Borquez’s son, according to KTLA.
Police said that the Montebello Fire Department was “eventually” able to put out the fire. The fire knocked out power in the area and nearby residents were forced to evacuate, according to ABC 7.
Arson investigators and MPD detectives are working together to determine the cause of the fatal fire. Police initially said on May 14 that there were “no outstanding suspects” in the ongoing investigation. However, KTLA reported on Friday, May 15, that investigators believe Borquez’s boyfriend started the fire.
Montebello Police Chief Luis Lopez added that the incident was domestic violence-related, according to statements obtained by KTLA and ABC 7.
“We’re trying to find out what happened hours, or even days, leading up to the incident so we can identify a motive,” Lopez said. “We believe the male involved in this case is the suspect. We do believe this is a domestic violence incident.”
The Montebello Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the fire and what may have caused it.
Following the fire, Borquez’s neighbor Alisson Gomez recalled the horrific situation while speaking to ABC 7.
“We saw a man and a lady just burning,” Gomez said. “Honestly, all her skin was off. Her hair burnt off completely, and she was just screaming for her son.”
Meanwhile, Borquez’s friend Hermalinda Anaya spoke to KTLA about Borquez’s relationship with her boyfriend. Anaya explained that the couple had been dating for about eight months after they connected on TikTok.
Anaya claimed that Borquez mentioned just days before the fire that her boyfriend was controlling. The boyfriend also allegedly took Borquez’s cell phone away and told people to stay away from her.
The friend told ABC 7 that Borquez “told me she’s so mad, she’s so upset at all the things that he do” about the boyfriend. “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,’” she added.
Borquez was also the mother to an older daughter, who told KTLA that her mom “was the most hardworking person I have ever known.”
“She went to another country without knowing the language just so her younger child could have better opportunities,” the daughter, who asked to keep her name private, said of Borquez, who was born in Guasave, Mexico. “I’m devastated, angry and missing my brother and mother. They were victims, and now there’s no one to take accountability and direct my anger towards.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
