RICHMOND, Calif. — A toddler critically hurt in a house fire authorities believe was deliberately started by a relative has died, bringing the death toll from the incident to three, police confirmed Thursday.
Richmond police spokesperson Lt. Joe England said the 2-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. A 33-year-old woman, believed to be the child’s mother, remains in critical condition as of Thursday.
Investigators say the blaze broke out at a residence on 15th Street, just east of Richmond’s city center, and was set intentionally. The fire occurred almost simultaneously with a second, unrelated house fire two doors down on the same block.
Officers arrested 32-year-old Sergio Rivera Vega at the scene of the second fire. He faces charges of murder and arson causing great bodily injury.
According to police, Rivera Vega lived at the home where the deadly fire started. The blaze killed his father, 47, and his 5-year-old nephew that night. The 2-year-old who died Thursday was his niece, and the woman still hospitalized is his sister — the children’s mother.
Police said Rivera Vega had previous contact with the department, though further details on that history were not released.
Speaking to reporters, Lt. England described the devastating toll the fire has taken on the surviving mother.
“When this mother comes to, she’s gonna come to the realization that she has no kids anymore,” England said, adding that both children should have been “waking up today and playing with toys” instead of losing their lives to what he called an act by “an evil person.”
England said officers who responded to the scene Tuesday night are being offered counseling and mental health support in the aftermath.
By Thursday, relatives had returned to the burned home with a moving truck to recover any salvageable belongings. Meanwhile, detectives continued interviewing multiple family members as they work to piece together the events leading up to the fire.
“Our number one focus here is to bring justice to this family,” England said.
The investigation remains ongoing.