The victims included a mother and her 13-year-old son, according to friends.
MONTEBELLO, Calif. — Police are investigating a deadly Montebello house fire as a suspected domestic violence arson after three people, including a 13-year-old boy, died Thursday morning.
The fire was reported just after 4:30 a.m. in the 100 block of South Fifth Street. Police said officers arrived to find a detached residential unit fully engulfed and two adults with severe burns outside. The adults were taken to a hospital, where they died. Firefighters later found the boy dead inside.
Authorities said the dead included a woman, her son and a man believed to be the attacker. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner had not formally named the victims. Friends told local reporters the mother was Rossy Borquez and the boy was her son, Atiel.
“At this time, we believe that the male involved in this case is the suspect,” Montebello Police Chief Luis Lopez said. Lopez said the case appeared to be tied to domestic violence. Police have not released the man’s name, his relationship status with Borquez or a detailed account of how the fire started.
Neighbors described a chaotic scene as flames overtook the home. Some said they heard explosions before seeing the residence burn. Alisson Gomez, who lived in a front apartment, said she fled with relatives and pets. She said the woman outside was badly burned and calling for her child.
Friends said Borquez had left Mexico after abuse and had lived in the United States for the past few years. They said the man was possessive and had threatened her before. A video posted to the man’s social media account showed a prior confrontation in which he threatened her, according to friends who spoke about the case.
The fire forced nearby residents out of their homes while crews from the Montebello Fire Department put out the flames. Police and arson investigators later searched the property for evidence, including signs of how the fire began and what happened in the minutes before the blaze.
Officials said key questions remain unanswered, including whether the man lived at the property and how he found Borquez after she left Mexico. The case remained under investigation as authorities worked to complete death notifications and release official identifications.
The burned home on South Fifth Street remained the center of the investigation Saturday as police reviewed evidence in the suspected domestic violence arson.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, May 17, 2026.