Home alone, boy 5, dies in blaze

On a laminated memorial poster, between a smattering of Spiderman stickers and a snapshot of a beaming Jason Guallpa, is a poem for the five-year-old Corona boy killed in a fire.
The five-line remembrance, written in Spanish and entitled “My Last Dream,” begins with the phrase, “I died fulfilling the duty of a human being,” then goes on to offer solace to the boy’s heartsick mother, Elvia.
“Every spring I will be with you mother with many white roses. Where we will play together. In your dreams, I will be sleeping, laughing at the soft wind,” the translation reads.
On the other side of the poster, a message from Jason’s parents invites community members to Jason’s wake and funeral, held on Saturday and Sunday, February 23 and 24. Three days earlier, the first grader perished in a fast-moving fire after he was left home alone by his 24-year-old brother Diego, who was supposed to have been babysitting, police said. Jason was found lodged between a wall and a TV set, according to fire officials, who said that the little boy was pronounced dead at the scene from smoke inhalation.
The blaze began accidentally, fire officials believe, and then spread to the second-floor apartment, where two people were rescued. Three firefighters were also taken to the hospital.
“There was a big ball of fire that went through the building,” said 27-year-old Lacey Shawn, who said he happened to be hanging out up the street at about 11 a.m. that morning. “Within 20 minutes, the whole house was engulfed.”
“The fire was so intense. It was roaring. It sounded like a jet engine,” Shawn said, from a nearby stoop up 98th Street.
Only after Jason’s older brother returned to the house did witnesses realize the little boy had still been inside.
“After he came back, he started yelling, ‘My brother, my brother’” Shawn said.
Later, as family gathered at the 115th Precinct, Diego Guallpa was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
According to a spokesperson from the Queens District Attorney’s office, Diego was issued a desk appearance ticket, which generally has to be returned to the issuing police precinct within four to six weeks.
On Monday, February 25, a contracting crew fastidiously removed charred debris from the home on 98th Street, near the corner of 37th Avenue. And around 2:30 p.m., parents and babysitters like Blanca Zapata, walked with children amid the rubble and police tape, some stopping to read the memorial poster or examine the mud-soaked, stuffed Barney placed next to a half dozen candles.
Most of the caretakers said that they had not known the Guallpa family or five-year-old Jason, simply saying instead that the circumstances were sad.
Ten-year-old Javier Barrera, who lives nearby, said. “I feel really sorry for their family especially because this house looks really messed up. It’s pretty tragic.”
According to published reports, the Guallpas would like to have Jason buried in Ecuador, the family’s native land, but do not have enough funds. They have been seeking assistance from the Red Cross and have received at least $500 through a donation made by someone touched by the story.
In addition, Assemblymember Jose Peralta set up a bank account with Citibank for those who want to donate. The account number is #9962150115, and the name on the bank account is Jason’s mother, Elvia Guazhco.
According to a spokesperson for the Assemblymember, organizers are hoping to raise funds to cover the cost of arrangements in both Corona and Ecuador - about $4,000. For more information about how to give money, call Peralta’s office at 718-458-5367.