Email

Print

A Santa Barbara Street blaze destroyed 4 homes last night. Tonight about 13 - 17 tenants are either staying at the St. Martin's De Pores School for shelter or scurrying around finding a place to stay. But while they all are burdened by the loss of their personal belongings - one mother has lost so much more - her son. Courtney Weatherburne has more on the terrible death of baby Tyreik.

Shaneeka Roberts, Mother
"Before I could reach any distance far I heard my neighbors saying fire Pearl Fire!!"

Courtney Weatherburne, reporting
In just that short time, the wild flames broke out and illuminated the black sky. Roberts had just left out to the corner store when the fire started inside her wooden home on Santa Barbara Street. It spread to the other 3 houses in the yard. She raced back and the other tenants tried to tame the blaze but nothing helped.

Thelma Mckoy, Roberts' Grandmother
"She had a huge gas tank and that burst in flames and no one could get in, all the water the men were throwing the blaze just get higher."

The tenants lost everything in the fire. But Roberts also lost a precious piece of her that can never be replaced.

Shaneeka Roberts, Mother
"The quickness of what this happened I couldn't save my baby."

Roberts left her 1 year old baby boy Tyreik asleep inside the house when she went out to the store. She says she has no idea what could have started the fire.

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"You no usually left the baby, you just run out quickly?"

Shaneeka Roberts, Mother
"No it was just so sudden, it is so difficult to explain, but that was the outcome."

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"You have any idea what caused the fire, you all have electricity and everything in the house right?"

Shaneeka Roberts, Mother
"I have electricity and water but I couldn't say what was the real picture behind this because, I don't know, but I could say I have some jealous people out there but God will see me through this."

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"And as you said you didn't leave anything on, you didn't leave the stove on, everything was off?"

Shaneeka Roberts, Mother
"No nothing like that because I am a single mother, I am always with my kids and I will never watch them get harm or watch them leading into that kind of matter there."

"He was going to be 2 in October now he is gone, I left broken but by the grace of God I will come up on top again."

Thelma Mckoy, Roberts Grandmother
"It is terrible, the little boy was, he was an excellent little boy he was sleeping, everything he sees his mother do he does it, excellent little boy and we are going to miss him terribly."

It is a horrific tragedy, and while the structure can be restored, the pain of this loss may never heal.

Roberts also has a 5 year old son. Thelma Mckoy, who is Shanice Robert's grandmother, is also Landlady of the property.