Disturbing Details Released About Brownsville, Texas Fire

Jan. 31--First responders heading to a home on Resaca Vista Drive on Jan. 11 thought they were responding to a routine structure fire, but once at the scene many realized the situation was more disturbing, dangerous and different than any they had ever seen.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Brownsville Police Department responded to further open-records requests by The Brownsville Herald under the Texas Public Information Act and released a law enforcement narrative and the first hour -- if not more -- of fire department, Emergency Medical Services and police radio traffic from a bombing that shocked the community.

The exclusive information provides new details into the events that unfolded in early January when Jesus Juarez, 26, Iviz Machado, 30, and Andrea Juarez, 5, were critically injured by a package that exploded at their house.

As calls first started coming in early Jan. 11, first responders thought they were heading to a routine structure fire.

"The kitchen's on fire, also the dining room," a dispatcher said in a radio transmission.

According to the audio, Medic 6 arrived at the scene and reported smoke coming out of the roof at the home. But fairly quickly, Brownsville's first responders learned they were dealing with something more alarming than an average structure fire.

"They are advising the children are crying because something might have exploded inside the kitchen. They've already evacuated the house," dispatch reported.

The fire department and EMS were first on the scene, according to a police narrative.

"Reporting officer walked over to the back of the ambulance where I saw two adults and a female child with severe facial burns," the officer wrote.

And it turns out, three generations of the family were in the house at the time of the attack. Andrea Juarez's grandparents and her aunts were also in the house, records show.

Francis Juarez, who called the fire in to 911 from inside the house, told police she was asleep upstairs when a loud noise that sounded like an explosion woke her up.

"So she ran downstairs and there was a lot of smoke and (she) could see fire, so she ran to the kitchen to get a big jug of water to try to extinguish the fire," the officer wrote in his report. "Francis then stated that she saw her niece and her brother on fire (facial area) and her sister-in-law on the floor."

Andrea Juarez's grandfather, Jesus Juarez Sr., was semi-awake after hearing his son and family getting ready for school, like usual, according to the police document.

"Then he heard a loud noise coming from the living area so he woke up and ran to see what it was and he saw his granddaughter Andrea on fire (face area) and crying and his son, Jesus Juarez Jr., was also on fire and his daughter-in-law was laying on the floor and there was a lot of smoke," the officer wrote in his narrative. "Jesus Sr. advised that he grabbed Andrea and pulled her up against his body to extinguish the fire from her."

In EMS radio traffic, a paramedic with Medic 6 told dispatchers that Andrea Juarez had burns to her face, Jesus Juarez Jr. had burns to his face and Iviz Machado had burns on her hands.

"Anything life threatening?" someone asked over the radio as the severely injured family was about three minutes away from Valley Regional Medical Center.

"Yeah, it looks like second-degree burns to their faces," an officer from dispatch reported.

Disturbing details

After the injured were taken to the hospital, someone from the Brownsville Fire Department reported a disturbing detail to dispatchers.

"Fire department is advising a FedEx package was delivered to the home and when it was opened, it exploded. That's what caused the burns," an officer from dispatch reported.

Then two firefighters began speaking to each other over the radio.

"There also might be some evidence to collect at the scene," one firefighter says on the recording. Another replied: "We have inspectors en route -- try not to disturb anything that's not needed to be (messed) with."

The first firefighter answered: "We haven't moved anything."

In the audio recording, moments go by with scattered radio chatter from different agencies in Brownsville.

But then a chilling comment is heard on the radio.

"Be advised, there's what appears to be a pipe bomb with wiring in the kitchen area," someone says.

According to the police narrative, the family was not expecting to receive any package.

"Reporting officer made contact with Francis again who stated that she asked her brother what had happened and he stated that he and his wife were already on their way to go drop off their daughter Andrea at school ... and he opened the front door to the residence and he saw a package at the door step," the officer wrote. "So he got the package (FedEx) and brought it inside the house and as he opened it, it exploded."

The next sentence in the narrative was blacked out of the report by police before the document was released to the public.

Jessica Juarez, Andrea Juarez's aunt, told police that her boyfriend had left the house on Resaca Vista Drive at 11 p.m. the previous day and did not see any packages at the door.

A voice on the radio said a counselor was sent to the girl's school.

Containing the scene

After the fire department determined unexploded devices were still at the home, the police department changed gears as the no-longer-standard structure fire became a crime scene that needed the bomb squad and careful security.

"I need two additional units. I need EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) and crime scene. Let them know there was an explosion from a package and unexploded ordnances as well," someone told dispatch and then asked that commanders be notified immediately.

As the audio continues, presumably a police supervisor asked someone to go to the hospital.

"Send an officer to the hospital to preserve evidence such as clothing and articles that the victims had. Make sure they are preserved," the official orders.

Meanwhile, officers at the scene cordoned off the area and evacuated neighbors while the three live bombs sat in the kitchen area of the house.

"All units on scene, let's go ahead and change over to Scene 1-Channel 1. We are going to be here for a little while," the supervisor said.

Jesus Juarez, Andrea Juarez and Iviz Machado were badly injured and eventually that day were driven to burn units in San Antonio and Galveston because wind was blowing too strong for helicopters to take them, according to police.

As police evacuated neighbors, an order was sent out.

"Stop people from going anywhere near the residence ... the package is located near the back of the residence," a man said, adding that if neighbors didn't want to leave their homes they should stay indoors and take cover.

As the day progressed, much of the neighborhood was evacuated to a safe distance. By 1:45 p.m. loud pops from the home were heard by people waiting from outside the perimeter, and then Police Chief Orlando C. Rodriguez said the unexploded devices were rendered safe.

Investigators have not named any suspects in the case.

The Brownsville Police Department has asked that anyone with information about the Jan. 11 bombing call Crime Stoppers at (956) 546-TIPS (8477).