DNA needed to identify toddler who died in west Modesto fire
It could be several weeks before the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office can officially identify the 18-month old child who died in a west Modesto house fire over the weekend.
The child’s parents have provided his name to authorities but the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office requires fingerprints, dental records or DNA for an official identification and before the name is released to the public.
Sgt. Jesus Sigala said the boy’s DNA will be sent to the Department of Justice. Detectives have asked for a rush on the results but it could still take a few weeks.
They boy died on Saturday afternoon when a fire started in the room where he was playing at a property in the 400 block of Martin Luther King Drive.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, said Dustin Bruley, supervisor of the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit. He said the boy was playing in the room alone when the fire started and access to the room, an addition attached to a carport, was blocked by the fire.
The child’s parents and another adult were inside the home when the fire broke out and Bruley said they and three neighbors tried to get to the child but the fire was too heavy.
All of them were injured or suffered smoke inhalation and three of them were taken to hospitals. The child’s father sustained the most serious injuries and was flown to the burn unit at UC Davis Medical Center.
Authorities said the family had just come to Modesto from Mexico and were staying at the home temporarily while they looked for more permanent housing.
