Fifth suit filed in deadly Immokalee arson fire
by Ryan Mills of the Naples Daily News
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Juana Vasquez, the sister of Victoriano Vasquez Lopez of Guatemala, whose wife, Pascuala Mendez, 34, and daughter, Luciana Vasquez, 13, were killed in the blaze. Lopez's 16-year-old son, Wilder Vasquez, was seriously burned in the fire and remains hospitalized in the burn unit of Tampa General Hospital, said Steve Meyers, an Orlando attorney who is representing the family.
Juana Vasquez, who lives in Immokalee, has been deemed the family's personal representative, Meyers said.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Collier County Circuit Court, claims the wrongful death of Mendez and Luciana and personal injury of Wilder. The defendant in the lawsuit is Cleveland A. Blocker, who owns Cleve's Trailer Park, 713 Second Ave.
The lawsuit claims that Blocker failed to provide adequate security at the trailer park, negligently operated and maintained the premises, overcrowded lessees into the trailer, and failed to provide smoke detectors, fire alarms and fire extinguishers.
"So far all the indications are there were no smoke alarms in that trailer, which is a violation of landlord-tenant statute," Meyers said. "The second area in which we feel Mr. Blocker was negligent was there was chicken wire over at least one window. ... We think at least one child was trying to get out of that window."
Meyers said his investigation into the fire showed that the people living in the trailer were paying more than $1,200 a month in rent.
"I think the public's impression of these trailer parks is it's an old, decrepit trailer ... and the people are paying very little money," Meyers said. "These people are paying about $1,200 a month. ... They are paying rent that would get you a nice apartment in Naples."
Meyers would not specify what the family is seeking in damages, but said it would be "well in excess of a million dollars."
Bruce Aebel, a Tampa attorney who is representing Blocker, said he hasn't seen the lawsuit and wouldn't comment on it.
The trailer fire broke out about 2:30 a.m. on March 4. It has been classified as arson. Authorities said the trailer had been the target of arson at least once before.
Four other lawsuits were filed against Blocker in mid-March by three people who were injured in the fire and the sister of a man who was killed in the blaze.
Under state rules the trailers must be inspected every six weeks. The trailer that burned was last inspected on Dec. 26, 2006, and on Feb. 16, 2007. No major problems were found during those inspections, and Collier County Code Enforcement had no complaints about the trailer.
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