LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Thieves stole from the burned remains of an East Las Vegas home while the owner was hospitalized recovering from a heart attack suffered during the fire.
Security camera footage shows two women digging through covered belongings at Ricardo Castillo’s property just days after the devastating fire that destroyed his main house last Monday.
The women can be seen taking items off the property and loading boxes into their car. Neighbors questioned the women during the theft, asking what they were doing.
“Their car, it was full of stuff. There were boxes and boxes,” a neighbor said.
Fire destroys main house, triggers heart attack
Clark County firefighters responded to the fire in the 700 block of Radwick Drive, near Bonanza and Hollywood, around 5:12 a.m. on January 26. Crews upgraded the fire to a two-alarm response, and multiple units responded to the scene.
After battling flames for hours, crews deemed the main house a complete loss. Viewer video showed flames visible from miles away.
A family of five had been staying inside a casita while their home was being renovated. The construction likely saved their lives, but the flames destroyed most of their belongings.
Ricardo Castillo, 52, took the destruction the hardest, according to his family.
“He was frozen. He was shocked. Out of everyone, I actually didn’t see my dad with no emotion,” said his son, Gael Castillo.
Ricardo’s sister, Thelma Castillo, said he suffered a heart attack after seeing the devastation.
“I think the moment that he saw everything, you know, down to ashes, that’s when he realized, like, I have nothing. And that’s when he started feeling sick,” she said.
Medics rushed Ricardo to the hospital just in time. He remains hospitalized awaiting surgery.
Family struggles with losses
His wife and three sons are working to process the destruction. His sister said her nephew’s 18th birthday was this week.
“So I’m reaching out to the community so they can help them because they lost everything. And this is an 18-year-old kid. It’s his birthday tomorrow. And he has nothing. You know, no clothes,” Thelma Castillo said.
Her eldest nephew lost his business after recently beginning to sell collectibles online. All of his merchandise was ruined.
Thieves add to family’s pain
Ricardo had just been released from the hospital when neighbors called to tell him to check his security cameras. His son watched the footage first.
“In that video I don’t know if you heard, they said they’re the owner of the house. That this was their stuff. And it just made me mad,” his son said.
Neighbors told the family the women stole expensive power tools. Ricardo estimates the thieves made off with about $1,500 worth of items.
“Hopefully, you know, they regret what they did. You know, to us, you know. Because that’s something that they were not supposed to do,” Ricardo said.
“At the end, I’m just grateful to me for the Lord for protecting my family. And that’s what I really feel inside,” Gael Castillo said.
The family has started a GoFundMe to help rebuild what they lost. Clark County Fire says the cause of the fire is under investigation.
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