18-Month-Old Boy Dies of Burns From Gas Fire

An 18-month-old East San Diego boy died Tuesday night from burns he suffered when he tipped over a can of gasoline in his home and the gasoline was ignited by a water heater, authorities reported.

The child, Enrique Hernandez, son of Jose and Maria Luisa Hernandez, suffered burns over 90% of his body and died at UC San Diego Medical Center shortly before 8 p.m., about seven hours after the accident occurred, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The boy had been left in the care of a sister, Angela, 19, while his parents were at work, according to Jim Valle, a detective with the child abuse detail of the San Diego Police Department.

Shortly before 1 p.m., Angela left Enrique alone and walked down the street to the nearby home of a sister to tell her that she needed to be relieved of baby-sitting duties. The fire occured while the girl was gone, Valle said.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Valle said. “It looks as though there is proper supervision by the family all day long, except for this 15- to 30-minute period.”

Enrique was found by a next-door neighbor, Mark Tate, 30, who pulled him from a door that led to the laundry room where the fire started, authorities said.

Tate took the infant to his home, wrapped him in a sheet and soaked him with water as his wife summoned paramedics.

Two other Hernandez children, Perla, 10, and Monica, 8, were led from the home by Amiel Hill, 13, a visitor at the Tate home, San Diego Fire Department spokesman Robert Sumler said. The girls escaped unharmed.

The fire damaged two rooms in the house, causing about $6,000 damage, Sumler said.

Valle, who is investigating the case, said no decision has been made on whether to seek criminal charges.

Six of the Hernandez’s nine children live in the three-bedroom stucco house in the 3000 block of 40th Street, Valle said.

The parents could not be reached for comment.