FOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, INCLUDING A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY, KILLED IN DEVASTATING CHICAGO FIRE — THEIR COMMUNITY IS HEARTBROKEN

A close-knit Chicago neighborhood is mourning an unimaginable tᩚraɢedy after four members of the same family, including a 13-year-old boy, lost their lives when a devastating fire tore through their townhome in Rogers Park.

Maria Piedad Jimenez de Garcia, 69, her daughter, Mariza Garcia Jimenez, 48, and Mariza’s two sons, Francisco Rey Vallejo, 24, and Valentino Jozeph Vallejo, 13, died following the early-morning blaze on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

The family’s beloved dog also perished in the fire.

What makes the tᩚraɢedy even more heartbreaking is that the family had lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. They were not simply residents behind a front door. They were familiar faces, longtime neighbors, and people who had built meaningful relationships throughout their community.

A DEVASTATING FIRE IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THURSDAY

According to the Chicago Fire Department, emergency crews were dispatched to a townhome in the 7000 block of North Paulina Street, near Greenleaf Avenue, at approximately 4:14 a.m. on November 5.

The fire spread through the family’s home, prompting an urgent emergency response.

Neighbors later described waking up to frightening screams and calls for help as the flames engulfed the residence.

One neighbor, Frank Adu, recalled seeing the fire after hearing the commotion outside.

He described waking his family and rushing outside, but the situation had already become terrifying.

Firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control, with officials reporting that the flames were contained to the family’s townhome within a four-unit building.

Four family members were found unresponsive and transported to nearby hospitals in ᑕriᩚtiᩚcal condition. All four were subsequently pronounced dead.

Three residents from neighboring units were also displaced.

The family dog, identified by neighbors as a four-year-old Labradoodle named Remi, did not survive.

FOUR LIVES, FOUR GENERATIONS OF FAMILY MEMORIES

The victims were a grandmother, her daughter, and two grandsons.

For their surviving relatives, the loss meant losing four beloved family members in a single morning.

Maria Piedad Jimenez de Garcia, 69, was remembered as the family matriarch who helped hold everyone together.

Her daughter, Mariza Garcia Jimenez, 48, was deeply involved in the neighborhood and her church.

Her sons, Francisco Rey Vallejo, 24, and Valentino Jozeph Vallejo, 13, were remembered by those who knew them as important parts of a family that valued love, togetherness, and community.

Relatives described their family bond as something priceless.

One of Mariza’s sisters told ABC7 Chicago that their family had a unique kind of love, adding that they felt incredibly rich because of the love they shared with their parents and siblings.

Now, those memories have become something their loved ones will carry forever.

VALENTINO, 13: A KIND-HEARTED BOY WHO TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES

Among the four victims, the dєatᩚh of 13-year-old Valentino has especially devastated the local school community.

Known affectionately as Tino, he was an eighth-grade student at Kilmer International Academy.

His former teacher, Kathy Schaper, remembered him as an exceptionally sweet and gentle child.

She had taught him during both his first and fifth grades and described him as someone who never had an unkind bone in his body.

She recalled his willingness to help others and the warmth he brought into the classroom.

Other people who worked with him through church activities and summer programs also remembered him as a cheerful boy who was always happy to greet others.

For the people who watched him grow up, Valentino was more than a student or a neighbor.

He was a child with a future still ahead of him, friendships still to make, and countless experiences he should have had the chance to enjoy.

Kilmer International Academy expressed its grief over losing one of its students and offered support to the school community.

MARIZA AND FRANCISCO: A FAMILY THAT GAVE BACK TO OTHERS

The tᩚraɢedy also took the lives of Mariza and her 24-year-old son Francisco.

Mariza was actively involved in her community and volunteered as a catechist at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church.

She helped teach religious classes and supported children and families through church activities.

Her commitment to helping others extended beyond the church.

Mariza was also a vocal supporter of people with disabilities, particularly through her efforts to support Francisco, who had an intellectual disability.

Francisco worked as a dishwasher at Northwestern University.

His relatives said his coworkers treated him with patience, dignity, and respect, never making him feel less because of his disability.

Mariza participated in the annual Special Olympics Polar Plunge to support her son.

Following their deaths, her sisters expressed their intention to continue participating in the event in honor of Mariza and Francisco.

It is a promise to keep celebrating the people they were and the causes they cared about.

A FAMILY BUSINESS AND DECADES OF CONNECTION TO ROGERS PARK

The family’s connection to Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood stretched back decades.

Maria and her husband once owned La Guadalupana, a Mexican restaurant in the Devon Avenue business district.

The restaurant operated for approximately a decade before closing in 2004 after her husband became ill.

Relatives described the business as part of their family’s American dream.

Their generosity and connections extended far beyond their restaurant.

Neighbors remembered a family that regularly participated in block parties, shared food, watched over one another’s children, and built relationships based on trust.

Mariza was also remembered by restaurant workers at South of the Border, a nearby establishment the family regularly visited.

One employee recalled her cheerful personality and how she was always quick to joke with the staff.

Just days before the fire, Mariza and her mother had been preparing elaborate decorations and altars for Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday honoring deceased loved ones.

The family had gathered to celebrate together the previous weekend.

Her sisters now hope to continue that tradition every year in memory of their mother and sister.

HUNDREDS GATHER FOR A HEARTBREAKING CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

On Saturday, November 7, hundreds of neighbors, friends, relatives, and community members gathered outside the family’s North Paulina Street home for a candlelight vigil.

Candles illuminated the memorial as people brought flowers, prayers, and messages of remembrance.

Some mourners had known the family for decades. Others came simply because they wanted to show support for a neighborhood that had suffered an extraordinary loss.

Valentino’s former teacher was among those remembering the family.

She described the gathering as a reflection of just how deeply loved they were.

The family home, which had once been filled with everyday conversations and celebrations, had become a place where the community came together to grieve.

Relatives also shared their gratitude for the overwhelming support they had received.

A fundraising campaign was established to help cover funeral expenses, with donations reaching tens of thousands of dollars as people from across the community stepped forward.

WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE?

The cause of the devastating fire remains under investigation by the Chicago Fire Department.

Authorities have not announced a confirmed cause.

Family members told local media that the home had working smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher.

Following the tᩚraɢedy, firefighters returned to the neighborhood to distribute smoke detectors and provide residents with fire-safety information.

Officials have not announced a final determination about how the fire started.

FOUR FAMILY MEMBERS GONE — BUT THEIR MEMORIES WILL LIVE ON

A grandmother who held her family together.

A daughter who gave her time to her church and community.

A 24-year-old young man whose family advocated for his dignity and inclusion.

And a 13-year-old boy remembered for his kindness, gentle spirit, and bright smile.

Four lives were lost in a single devastating morning.

Their deaths have left an enormous hole in the hearts of their relatives, friends, classmates, and neighbors.

But the people of Rogers Park are determined to remember more than the tᩚraɢedy.

They will remember the family dinners, the neighborhood celebrations, the kindness shared between neighbors, the traditions passed down through generations, and the little boy everyone called Tino.

Their home may never be the same, but the memories they created will remain part of the community they loved.

May Maria, Mariza, Francisco, Valentino, and their beloved dog Remi rest in peace.

May their surviving family members find strength in the love surrounding them during this unimaginable time. 🕊️