by Doug Auer
A little boy lost his life in a roaring Greenridge house fire last night.
Despite valiant efforts by neighbors, firefighters and paramedics, 2-year-old Jesus Bailey was pronounced dead in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze. The smoke he'd breathed in stopped his heart, according to FDNY officials.
Four other people escaped the blaze at 69 Woehrle Ave. with minor injuries, including the boy's grandmother, Stacey Mohan-Singh, 44; two teens, and a man in his 30s.
Jesus' mother, Mrs. Mohan-Singh's eldest daughter, wasn't home at the time, according to neighbors and cops.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries -- of the back and knee, respectively -- and were treated and released at Staten Island University Hospital, Prince's Bay.
No criminality is suspected at this time and fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire.
Residents say a total of 12 children live in the home, some of them Mrs. Mohan-Singh's children and some her grandchildren.
Ten kids were inside when the blaze broke out at about 7:30 p.m. in the two-story semi-attached house at the corner of Woehrle and Alexander avenues.
Three of the children were inside and seven were playing outside.
"You could see the fire from the door. It was real bad inside and there was no way to get in without a mask," said Eddie Dalessio, 23, who along with a friend -- Tommy Ruggiero, also 23 -- broke out windows in order to gain entry. The brave attempt left Dalessio with an injured right hand.
Another man tried to defeat the flames with a garden hose, Dalessio recalled.
"A lady kept screaming, 'My babies. My babies,'" he said sadly.
"I immediately saw a heavy body of fire on the first and second floors with heavy smoke pouring out the front, and people screaming on the rear patio," said neighbor Bob Conigliaro, 56, a retired city firefighter.
Firefighters from Ladder Co. 87 eventually found Jesus in a second-floor bedroom, according to FDNY Acting Deputy Chief Michael O'Brien of Division 8.
After finding the toddler, firefighters ran out of the burning home onto the lawn and began to administer CPR. EMTs continued the lifesaving efforts as an ambulance raced to University Hospital with a police escort.
The remaining children were brought to the home of Nancy Della-Chiesa, 37, who lives a few doors away on Woehrle. Good Samaritans could be seen bringing over clothing for the distraught children.
There, the youngsters were interviewed by FDNY fire marshals as American Red Cross workers tried to arrange lodging for them.
As people from the tight-knit community gathered on the street to survey the damage to 69 Woehrle -- shattered windows, melted siding and scorched furniture strewn about the grass -- the residents of adjoining 71 Woehrle said they were fortunate to have been spared.
"There was a lot of smoke coming in from the roof and attic," said Brian Hayes, 34, who was home with his mother, Janet Malagreca, 58. "But the fire never made it through."
Hayes' stepfather, Tommy Malagreca, 57, arrived home shortly after the fire.
Mrs. Mohan-Singh and the children had lived next door about two and a half years, having moved from Brooklyn, Malagreca said.
"Everyone's saying there was an explosion and the windows blew out," he said. "It's a shame."
 |
