Mother and Baby Die Following San Juan Capistrano Condo Blaze

The second of nine victims of a fire that engulfed a San Juan Capistrano condominium complex earlier this week has died, authorities announced today.

The victim was 20-year-old Maricela Sanchez, the Orange County Coroner reported. She died on Wednesday night, the coroner said. Her 3-year-old son, Jaiden Liborio, died of his injuries Tuesday night.

No updated information was available about the condition of Sanchez’s other child, a 2-year-old boy whose condition was previously reported as grave.

The fire was reported in the 26500 block of La Zanja Street around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday. It was probably caused by a juvenile playing with a lighter in the living room of the condo, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi.

The Orange County Register reported that 17 people -- eight adults and nine children -- were living in the four-bedroom condo.

Concialdi said a 5-year-old boy was tossed to safety from the second floor unit, while a 7-year-old boy managed to escape the burning building by himself.

All smoke detection devices in the condo had been removed, Concialdi said.

• City News Service