Tonight a family in the Lake Independence Area is grieving deeply after an 11 year old child perished in a house fire, while two others, 4 and 8 are clinging to life at the KHMH.  And to make it worse, they are sure someone set their house on fire. 7News was on the scene last night and it’s one of the worst domestic tragedies we’ve ever seen. Jules Vasquez has the report:…
 Last night Caroline Hamilton strode up Aloe Vera Street towards her home - the apparent confidence in her gait gave no clue of what she knew awaited her at the end of the street. She implores the fire men, “Is my child dead†- unable to respond, they return blank stares:
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"My baby dead? Please tell me..."
Fireman
"No mommy we just the try figure out"
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"My baby was inna da house yo know. Unno please that baby left inna da house. My baby dead! My baby mi di cry inna da house, my baby (crying)..."
She runs, she walks, a mixture of anticipation and dread to see the house, and confront the grim realization, the certainty, the horror
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"All I could tell you weh I see da flame and my sister di haul out ih baby they from outta di house. Then I start to cry and ask where Aaron deh? Juni say ih deh eena di house eena di bed!"
Jules Vasquez
"He remained in the house while the house burnt?"
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"Yes sir. My baby is in there, believe me weh I di tell uno please!!! Ay they coulda mi kill me but noh my baby (crying)..."
This mother’s wails echoed across the night, as the firemen continued with the weary work of digging through the scene, looking for what has to be unearthed beneath the ash and rubble - the body of a child who perished.
The family has to look on and wait, there’s no consolation…
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"(Crying....) God! God! God! God! God! You promised me! You promised me god you will give me peace…."
Police find a sheet to put the body in and the fireman has to bundle it up while the neighborhood looks on and from there, a procession of flashlights."
The firemen had to lug the body out of the alley unto the street to the sound of wails and a mother in the throes of tragedy. It was an exceptionally long walk, about 750 feet, making the sorrowful scene even more surreal, these firemen gripping the bundle in the sheet, the body of an 11 year old, hurrying along, as his family tried to keep up, accompanying the boy one last time.
As far as they could take him: the pan of a police truck - next, the morgue.
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"They take away my last baby, whe I could do? I noh know weh fu do no mo. I try I try I try only the good lord could tell me what to do. I noh know whe fu do now, how could I pick up the pieces now?"
The pieces, that’s what the fire department has to sift through to find out what happened here. Caroline Hamilton says its arson:
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"I was sitting down and when I look I see somebody run from the back of the riverside inna a camouflage - you see the one weh di coast guards they wear, one of that with a three quarter pants, a black dickies pants because the light was on in the veranda there. Mi baby pa deh eena the house, my sister all of them di watch tv. The person run een and light di place fire; eena di blink of an eye my whole my life gone right in front of me!"
And it’s not the first time - her house burned down in May of 2015 – but this time one child is dead and two others are in very critical condition.
Benesford Maturav - Operations Officer, Belize National Fire Service
"Information we received is that when the fire occurred the adults attempted to retrieve or rescue the children that got burnt and by the time they attempt to enter for the other, the fire was just too hot for them to handle."
Crystal Gabourel - Sister of deceased
"They found him that he was sleeping..."
11 year old Aaron Gabourel perished, while his cousins, 4 year old Ian Sambula-Carr and 8 year old Empress Hamilton received massive burn injuries:
Benesford Matura - Operations Officer, Belize National Fire Service
"Empress Hamilton 8 year old received 90 to 95 percent burns on her body, 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Ian Sambula a 4 year old received the same 90 to 95 percent, 2nd to 3rd degree burns. There are presently at the KHMH in the ICU in recovery but they are still listed as critical."
Jules Vasquez
"And we also had the older man Mr. Gabourel."
Benesford Matura - Operations Officer, Belize National Fire Service
"Winston Gabourel Sr. he suffered burns to his arms only so he's stable but he didn't get it as as bad as the two children."
The children, 4 year old Ian and 8 year old Empress are critical and The Burn Victim Fund is trying to fly them out urgently.
In the meantime fire investigators are looking for clues to determine if it is a murderous case of arson as the family claims:
Benesford Matura, - Operations Officer, BNFS
"We've heard that story too but we're investigation because we are trying to locate this accelerant."
Jules Vasquez
"In terms of?"
Benesford Matura, - Operations Officer, BNFS
"What type of accelerant was used and what area was it tossed according to what they are saying; so that's part of our investigation. They can allege these act but we need solid evidence to prove that it did happen that way."
Jules Vasquez
"Have you seen anything consistent so far with the use of an accelerant?"
Benesford Matura, - Operations Officer, BNFS
"Not really but we're still searching."
The police are also searching for a suspect:
ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"So that matter is being investigated, we are looking for one person of interest in relation to that investigation."
Jules Vasquez
"And now this is the 2nd time that home has burnt in one and a half years; do you all know what have prompted the arson? We know there had been an ongoing property dispute in that area."
ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"Well I do not want to go into too much detail but we have our reasons why we are looking for one individual and yes like you rightly said there is some issue of dispute where that premises is concerned."
And while that suspect has not been named the family is sure: an arsonist killed their brother:
Crystal Gabourel - Sister of deceased
"I never saw my little brother, they took him out of the house burnt (crying).. I don't understand why someone would do that."
Winston Gabourel Jr. - Brother of deceased
"I lose my bredda and who do it, why deh wa take it out on a small lee bwai. I miss by bredda, I cayaah take it no more."
Indeed, the family just can’t hold up under the weight of this tragedy – and the worst part is, two more children’s lives are hanging by a thread.
Caroline Hamilton - Mother of Child Perished in Fire
"I want mi baby (crying)... Doctor I want mi baby! I would do anything doctor."
Yvette Burks of the Burn Victims Mercy Fund who is working feverishly to get Empress and Ian flown out says that Shriners Hospital in Galveston has agreed to treat them. However the Fund has to pay for two air ambulance trips which will cost thirty nine thousand US Dollars. She’s been trying to raise the funds immediately – but preparations hit a snag today when the Vital Statistics Unit could not immediately generate a birth certificate for Empress. It’s literally a life and death case, but they told her mother to come back tomorrow. Once the birth certificate is secured the first flight can go, hopefully, tomorrow.  We’ll keep following the story.
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