SAN ANTONIO — A fatal fire that killed a family of four has sparked a homicide investigation.
Last Friday, San Antonio firefighters responded to a house fire in the 4400 block of Wrangler Run on the far southeast side.
Fire officials said they recovered four bodies from the home. They have been identified as Alfredo Pescador, 44; Blanca Pescador, 40; Leslie Pescador, 19; and Alfredo Pescador Jr., 13.
Neighbors said they were shocked to learn the victims were inside when flames broke out. Several told KENS 5 the family was planning to go to El Paso this week to visit a sick relative.
Alfredo Pescador's sister explained she found out about their deaths over the weekend, and immediately drove from El Paso when she heard.
"My brother was a good father and family man," she said in a statement. "His wife was also a beautiful person and always put her children first. Just an overall loving family. I miss them dearly."
On Monday, several friends and teachers gathered in grief over the tragedy.
“It’s a great loss,” said East Central ISD teacher Elaine Juarez, who taught one of the younger victims.
Officials with the district said they were supporting students during the time of mourning through counseling and other services.
'They were everything to her'
From the ashes, teachers found a sheet of Monopoly instructions that was burned into the shape of a heart. Two women said it was symbolic of how loving their friend was.
“She was just an amazing mom,” said one woman. “She was all about her kids.”
“She was a really good mom, a good friend,” another added. “I know she was a good wife too.”
The two friends told KENS 5 they were shocked by the fire, but not surprised by the direction the investigation has taken.
“Only God knows why things happened the way they did,” a woman said. “The only thing I thank God for is she is with her kids; they were everything to her.”
Juarez says the oldest child previously took her criminal justice pathway course. According to Juarez, the 19-year-old was an honor student who recently enrolled at a local college with hopes of becoming a police officer.
“On our competitions out of town we got close,” Juarez said through tears. “We bonded. Her fellow students that would practice with her every week miss her very much. She was just a great person to everybody.”
Betty Vasquez works at the ECISD middle school where the youngest child attended. She says she also knew his sister.
“She was a joy to work with," Vasquez said. "She was one of my best safety monitors there.”
A woman also told us her son was friends with the 13-year-old boy. She described the seventh-grader as shy but "incredibly sweet."
“My son is just trying to comprehend [what happened],” she said. “All these kids are going to have a hard time grieving. It’s hard for kids to understand. I’m an adult and I don’t even understand.”
Police have not released information about a possible suspect. The Medical Examiner has not said what caused the victims’ deaths.