Brother Remembers 5 Killed In LI Fire: 'I'm Still In Shock'

RIVERHEAD, NY — The community is coming together to help get the bodies of a family of five killed in a Riverhead fire Tuesday night home to Guatemala, their final resting place.

A GoFundMe page, "Help the Rivera Family Rest In Peace," was created by Kristen Leonard of Riverhead to benefit Leonel Rivera, who has identified the members of his family who died.

"You see these stories flash across your TV screens and think for that fleeting moment, what a tragedy," Leonard wrote. "But when the TV is off, the phone is put away, you go back to your life and your family. Regrettably, the remaining family members of the Rivera family do not have that luxury."

When reached in Florida on Thursday, Leonel Rivera could barely speak through the tears after losing his sister and four other relatives this week.

Killed in the fire were Zonia Dinora Rivera Mendoza, 41, Carlos Alberto Ramos Aguirre, 25, Carlos Cífrelo Penate Rivera, 25 — Carlos died a day after his 25th birthday — Andrea Isamar Gonzalez Rivera, 16, and Douglas Edgardo Rivera Aguirre, 27. A mother, daughter, son, and two nephews, lost.

Rivera said he was not in Riverhead at the time of the fire as he lives in Florida. His sister, Zonia, he said, worked hard for many years to make a good life for the family.

"The last time I saw my sister was last Christmas," he told Patch. "We met in Atlanta. I had not seen her for more than 10 years."

Of his family, Rivera said: "They were people who were dedicated to work. They did not harm anyone."

His voice breaking, he said he cannot fathom the depth of his loss: "I'm still in shock," he said. "I can't believe it. I want to think it's a dream and that when I wake up everything will be fine."

On Tuesday, Leonard said, the "unimaginable" happened when fire engulfed the historic home.

"Within minutes, the entire home was devoured by flames. For some, it was a miracle — they were able to escape relatively unharmed. Unfortunately, that is not how our story ends, for our family on the third floor. This is the Rivera family. They were a family that was built on love. You could not know them, without loving them. And to be loved by them, was an honor. Their tragic deaths have left a wound that can never properly heal."

The remaining members of the Rivera family, she wrote, are not only emotionally devastated, "but to properly care for those they have lost, they will also be financially devastated. The upcoming days will require obtaining caskets for all five lost, organizing services and funerals in New York, as well as financially supporting the journey back to Guatemala, to rest in peace."

She added: "Please find it in your hearts to donate so this family may find comfort in knowing that they have done all they could to honor their loved ones."

The fire tore through the home Tuesday night, leaving five dead — and another five residents homeless.

A fundraiser will also be held Sunday for the Rivera family at Stotzky Park in Riverhead, said Jessica Maria Banegas, beginning at 9 a.m. One of the young men lost was an avid soccer player, she said.

"The Riverhead Soccer League presents a tournament benefiting the Rivera family," she said. "We ask for all the support of our community this Sunday."

Donations can also be dropped off Sunday at Southampton Youth Services, or SYS, in Southampton on Sunday, she said.

Another mother and her son, Lori and Adam Starsiak, were able to escape with just the clothes on their backs, said brother Michael Starsiak of Calverton. Starsiak created a GoFundMe, Help My Family Get Back Up On Their Feet, to lend support to his mother and brother.

New details emerged Wednesday about the fire that ripped through the storied Long Island home.

According to police, the five people who died were all found on the third floor of the home on East Second Street and are believed to have been third-floor residents.

Those who died were not in their beds, "but we cannot speculate what they were doing at the time of the fire," police said.

According to Suffolk County police, responding officers were there within a minute of the 10:38 p.m. 911 call. The homeowner lived on the first floor and escaped; the second floor had two apartments each with two occupants, and the third floor had one apartment with five occupants.
Suffolk police detectives spoke with Riverhead town code enforcement who indicated they believe the apartments were legal but said they would investigate, police said.

A second-floor resident went out to walk his dog and then returned and was getting ready for bed when he smelled smoke and heard his across-the-hall neighbors yelling, "Fire!" police said.

Police said smoking was a potential cause of fire, "but there are multiple factors that are being investigated, all accidental in nature."

When asked about smoke detectors, Suffolk County Police Detective Lt. Kevin Beyrer said they couldn't definitively say if there were any but at this point, "there is no indication there were any present or going off."

Police said they do not know when the bodies will be identified.

Neighbors were grief-stricken and shocked Wednesday as they gathered across the street from the blackened structure, the smell of smoke still heavy in the air.

Steven Tracy, who lives directly across the street from the fire, was visibly distraught.

"It was horrible. I saw my windows glowing and I looked across the street and the whole house was on fire. Every floor was on fire," he said.

Tracy said he knew some residents on the second floor, who escaped. "But everyone on the third floor — they didn't get out," he said.

Tracy said he does not think he will be able to sleep for some time. "I can still hear the sound of them screaming. And then seeing the bodies being lowered out of the window — not good."

Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar told Patch that the home was a legal, owner-occupied, four-family residence. In recent months, code enforcement had visited the home eight times and called twice, trying to get the town's rental agreement renewed; once that rental agreement was renewed, there would have been a new inspection required, she said.

The owner was then cited in October with failure to renew the rental agreement, she said — adding that the agreement expired in 2020, during the pandemic.

Tracy said the homeowner cared for the property, unlike some other houses in the area that have stood abandoned for years.

The owner of the building could not immediately be reached for comment.

Aguiar said the family was from Guatemala and that the Guatemalan consulate was on hand all day Wednesday to help.

"Today Riverhead lost five community members," Aguiar said. "Our hearts go out to their family and friends."

She added that she is committed to helping the survivors in any way possible. Riverhead residents Arlene and Brad Tuthill were also shaken as they stood before the charred building.

"My heart just goes out to those people," Arlene said. "I hope they didn't suffer too long."
She added, "This is something none of us will ever forget."

A preliminary investigation has determined the cause of the fire to be non-criminal in nature, police said.

The home had great historical significance in Riverhead. According to Riverhead Town records, the three-story, cross-gable Victorian style home was built circa 1905 and featured turrets and Tuscan columns. Known as the Price Northridge House, the home was originally designed by William Sidney Jones for Augusta Price, a Brooklyn attorney.

To donate to the GoFundMe for the Rivera family, click here.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.