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Mom suing apartment complex after son's death
A mother is filing a lawsuit against her apartment complex after her 11-year-old son died in a fire. She says her son, a third-grader with dreams of becoming a firefighter, lost his life after a blaze broke out in their home.
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - A mother is filing a lawsuit against her apartment complex after her 11-year-old son died in a fire. She says her son, a third-grader with dreams of becoming a firefighter, lost his life after a blaze broke out in their home.
The family’s attorneys argue that this is a case of wrongful death and negligence, claiming that the apartment complex failed to provide working fire alarms and should be held responsible for the tragedy.
The memory of the raging fire and the panicked phone call still haunts Romona Andrews.
"It plays in my head every time I'm at work. Just my middle daughter screaming, 'Ramon is gone!'" Andrews said.
The pain of losing her 11-year-old son, Ramon, remains ever-present.
"Everything reminds me of him," she added.
Andrews and her legal team believe Ramon would still be alive if the fire alarm in their apartment had been functioning.
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"Because of that failure to warn by the complex and do what they're supposed to do, we had this tragic loss of life," said attorney Ryan Fletcher.
The lawsuit is being filed against the owner of Goldelm at Charter Pointe Apartments in Altamonte Springs. The attorneys argue that the smoke detectors in the unit were not working and that there was no indication that they malfunctioned before the fire broke out in April.
According to Florida law and Andrews' apartment lease, the owner was responsible for maintaining the fire alarms.
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Mom files lawsuit after son killed in apartment fire | FULL
Ramona Andrews, who son was killed in an apartment fire in April 2024, has filed a wrong death lawsuit against the apartmen complex alleging there were no working smoke alarms. Ramon Andrew was a third grade student at Lake Orienta Elementary School. She and her lawyers held a press conference on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, to discuss the lawsuit.
"There was never any indication that the battery was low or needed maintenance," said attorney Greg Francis.
The attorneys also point to police body camera footage as evidence, noting the absence of audible fire alarms in the background.
FOX 35 contacted the city of Altamonte Springs and the state fire investigator for their reports on the case.
Meanwhile, the Andrews family remembers Ramon as a sweet boy who dreamed of becoming a firefighter. His older sister Leah, who attempted to save him during the fire, says there will always be a void in their family.
"Just like a blank space right there. When we're eating dinner... there’s just like a blank space," Leah said.
FOX 35 contacted the apartment complex for comment, but a representative stated they would not be commenting now.
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