By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
HOUSTON — The Houston Fire Department announced on Nov. 9 that criminal charges have been filed in connection with the line-of-duty death of Houston Firefighter Marcelo Garcia, who was killed in a wall collapse while fighting a warehouse fire.
Yesenia Mendez, 38, is facing a first-degree arson charge. Investigators say Mendez started a fire that led to Garcia’s death, KHOU reported.
Firefighter Marcelo Garcia succumbed to injuries from a wall collapse during a warehouse fire
“This charge is the first step in a long healing process for the firefighters of this city,” Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz said.
Mendez is not currently in custody.
Funeral arrangements for Garcia are pending.
Trending
Collapse during RIT operations highlights the need for improved pre-incident planning and collapse zone awareness at vacant structures
Lawnside’s fire trucks are inoperable, forcing the department to borrow rigs from neighboring towns as the fire chief and officials trade blame over delayed repairs and limited funding
Whiteout conditions on Interstate 196 near Grand Rapids, triggered a massive crash involving cars and semitrailer trucks and leaving numerous people injured
Public backlash and political pressure led the city’s workers’ comp provider to reverse course and approve care for a Fort Worth firefighter severely injured in a collapse