A Texas mother, who saved her two older children during a house fire, tragically died when she ran back into the burning building to save her one-year-old son, but both mother and son perished.
Giovanna Cabrera, 31, and her infant son, Gabriel were inside their home at 218 Heaney Street on Houston’s north side early Saturday morning when the fire broke out.
After rescuing her two older children, aged six and nine, Cabrera ran back into the burning building, but never came back out, firefighters said.
The blaze was so intense that firefighters had to wait before they entered. Once inside they saw Cabrera holding her son Gabriel amid the smoke and flames.
‘She had him in her arms like the baby, so I know she tried. I know if she could’ve. She would have made it out,’ her distraught sister, Giselle Bueno told local affiliate ABC13 News, said.
The origin and cause of the fire remains unknown and is being investigated, fire officials said.
Pictured: Giovanna Cabrera and her one-year-old son Gabriel Cabrera died tragically in a house fire on Saturday. The hero mother rescued her two older children, ages 6 and 9, when she ran into the home to save her baby, she never made it out, firefighters said
The early morning fire broke out on Saturday at the family’s home on 218 Heaney Street on Houston’s north side
Cabrera pictured with her two other children, ages six and 9, (left) who she rescued from the burning structure, as she is pictured (right) with her son, who also perished
The home was so badly damaged fire crews were unsure whether the structure had one or two stories.
Hours after the tragedy, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena posted the catastrophic fire on X, formerly Twitter with the caption: ‘Heartbreaking incident.’
Utterly devastated by the tragedy, Giselle Bueno stood outside the home that was covered in black ash after firefighters extinguished the flames.
She wept as she called her sister, Giovanna a ‘wonderful, courageous mom.’
‘I can’t believe I am not going to see her anymore and the baby,’ Bueno said.
‘She had to save her babies that is her first thing. I couldn’t imagine how scared she was.’
As family members, friend and neighbors comforted Bueno, a memorial with a photo of Giovanna and Gabriel, sat near a tree outside the burnt out structure.
Bethel Baptist Church Pastor Jaime Garcia was at the scene accompanied by church members who were there to support the family during this unimaginable loss.
‘The church is here, family and friends, and that is for one reason to encourage this family during this very tragic time in their life that none of us can understand,’ Garcia said, as per the news outlet.
Bueno said that in the end, she had comfort knowing that her sister and her baby son died together.
‘I don’t think my sister could have bared the pain of losing a child,’ she added.
The cause and origin of the fire is unknown and an investigation is ongonig
Utterly devastated by the tragedy, Giselle Bueno (pictured in the maroon sweatshirt) is seen outside the ravaged home hugging a friend who was there to show her support
Firefighters from the Houston Fire Department stand outside the burnt out structure that was completely demolished during Saturday’s house fire
The two surviving children are now with their father, ABC13 reported.
A GoFundMe has been created to help pay for their funerals. Any remaining donations will bo towads Cabrera’s two other children, and her parents who lost all that they owned in the fire.
As of Monday afternoon, more than $22,000 has been raised towards their goal of $35,000.
