Jan. 22--A young mother has become the second fatality in a fast-moving fire that consumed a condominium building in San Juan Capistrano, killing her son and injuring seven others.
Maricela Sanchez, who turned 20 last week, was pronounced dead at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, according to the Orange County coroner's office.
Sanchez's 3-year-old son, Jaiden Liborio, died Tuesday night, hours after flames and smoke destroyed the building on La Zanja Street, displacing 80 residents.
Jaiden, his mother and brother Iker were among 17 people living inside one unit of the building when flames broke out at about 9:15 a.m. Tuesday. Fire officials said the blaze was started by a child who was playing with a lighter.
The flames moved quickly, consuming mattresses that lined the floor of the four-bedroom unit, officials said. Its smoke detectors had been removed and those in neighboring units were not operating, they said.
Thick smoke from the blaze awoke residents, triggering a panic as some tenants jumped out of windows to escape the flames, firefighters said.
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