Mom Rescues 2 of Her Kids from House Fire, But Dies After Going Back to Save 1-Year-Old Son
Authorities have identified the victims as mom Giovanna Cabrera and her son Gabriel, per local reports
GoFundMe
Giovanna and Gabriel CabreraA Texas mom was able to rescue two children from a burning home but died after going back inside to rescue her infant, who also did not survive.
The Houston Fire Department said that it responded to the home on Heaney Drive “after receiving reports of a house on fire" early Saturday morning, according to a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Mayor John Whitmire said on social media that the mom “rescued two of her children” from the blaze before going back to try and save her baby boy.
The woman re-entered the home to try and “rescue her child from the flames,” but both died in the blaze, HFD Chief Samuel Peña said in a post on X. “Our prayers & condolences to the family🙏🏽,” the fire chief added.
Authorities have identified the victims as 31-year-old Giovanna Cabrera and her 1-year-old son Gabriel, according to ABC affiliate KTRK-TV and CBS affiliate KHOU.
Crews said they found “heavy fire conditions” upon arriving at the scene Saturday morning, according to Peña.
Footage of the blaze, shared by KHOU, shows flames shooting into the sky as they consume the home. The home appears to be almost completely charred in photos of the aftermath, shared by Peña.
Chief Samuel Pena
Remnants of the Houston home that caught fire early Saturday morningOne neighbor said she could hear children screaming in Spanish for help. “I heard banging on the door and kids crying for help,” Savannah Hernandez told KHOU. “They are little kids, and you just never know what could happen. They were barefooted.”
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Giselle Bueno, Giovanna’s sister, said her sister was found with her son in her arms, according to KTRK-TV. “I know that she had to save her babies,” she added, “like I can only imagine how scared she was.”
Related: N.J. Firefighter and Father of 3 Dies After Battling Blaze: 'Tragic Loss'
Meanwhile, Giovanna's 6-year-old and 9-year-old are now with their father, Bueno said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to support Giovanna and Gabriel’s funeral costs. The remaining funds will go toward her surviving children and her parents, who “lost everything in the home.”
As of Monday afternoon, more than $21,000 has been raised through the fundraiser.
An investigation into the fire is ongoing. The cause of the fire has not been released.
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