Burbank Police Department News Release: Three Children Rescued from Apartment Fire

Three children were rescued from an apartment fire early this morning leading to their parents’ arrest.

At about 2:15 a.m., Burbank Police responded to the 1600 block of Grismer Avenue regarding several reports of an apartment fire with children trapped inside.

When officers arrived, they saw smoke coming from a unit on the second story and were told by neighbors that young children were trapped inside. Officers quickly entered the locked apartment where they were overcome by thick black smoke and could hear children screaming for help. Officers made their way through the apartment and came upon a locked bedroom door. Officers forced the bedroom door open, picked up the three children, and exited the apartment, rescuing all three. The parents were not found inside the apartment.

All three children, ages 3, 5, and 6, were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries for further medical evaluation and treatment. Five officers were transported to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and non-life-threatening injuries. The officers have since been released.

During the investigation, officers located the mother and father of the children a short distance away. The two said they had locked their children in the bedroom and walked to a local convenience store.

The parents have been identified as 38-year-old Aldo Prado and 27-year-old Jennifer Ray, both residents of Burbank. They were both arrested and booked for child neglect, a felony, and are being held in lieu of a $100,000 bail. Mr. Prado and Ms. Ray are due to appear in court on November 4, 2022.

Formal charges are pending review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS STATEMENT SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO:
SERGEANT BRENT FEKETY | 818-238-3240 | [email protected]