FOUR MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY, INCLUDING A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY, DIE IN HORRIFIC CHICAGO TOWNHOME FIRE — THEIR FAMILY DOG ALSO PERISHES AS HUNDREDS GATHER TO MOURN

A devastating house fire has claimed the lives of four members of the same family, including a 13-year-old boy, leaving an entire Chicago neighborhood heartbroken.

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 after a fire tore through their townhome in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side during the early hours of Thursday, November 5, 2026.

The family’s beloved dog also died in the blaze.

Firefighters were dispatched to the home in the 7000 block of North Paulina Street shortly after 4:14 a.m. Emergency crews rushed to the scene as flames engulfed the residence.

All four family members were found unresponsive and transported to nearby hospitals in ᑕriᩚtiᩚcal condition. Despite emergency efforts, they were later pronounced dead.

The fire was contained to one townhome within a four-unit residential building. Three residents from neighboring units were displaced.

As investigators work to determine what caused the diᩚadℓy blaze, the community is struggling to comprehend how one morning could take an entire family.

A FAMILY WHO HAD BEEN PART OF THE COMMUNITY FOR DECADES

The victims were not strangers to Rogers Park. They were a family with deep roots in the neighborhood, where relatives, friends and neighbors had known them for years.

According to relatives who spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times, the family had lived in their North Paulina Street home since 2005.

Maria was remembered as the family matriarch, a woman who held her daughters and relatives together, particularly after her husband died during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her daughters described a close-knit family whose greatest strength was the love they shared.

Maria and her husband had once pursued a dream of running their own Mexican restaurant, La Guadalupana, in Chicago’s Devon Avenue business district.

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

Their family was also known for its generosity. Neighbors remembered a community where people looked after one another’s children, shared meals and trusted each other with their homes.

That spirit of kindness continued through the next generation.

A MOTHER WHO GAVE SO MUCH TO OTHERS

Mariza was remembered as a cheerful, generous woman who made an effort to bring happiness to those around her.

She regularly helped care for children in the neighborhood and volunteered as a catechist at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church.

Her faith and involvement in the church were important parts of her life.

Her son Valentino was also preparing for his First Communion, which was expected to take place in May.

Mariza was particularly passionate about supporting people with disabilities, a cause close to her heart because of her son Francisco.

She participated in the annual Special Olympics Polar Plunge to raise awareness and support for people with intellectual disabilities.

Her family said Francisco was treated with kindness and respect by his coworkers at Northwestern University, where he worked as a dishwasher.

He had intellectual disabilities, but those who knew him remembered how the people around him accepted him and gave him the opportunity to be part of the workplace community.

His family described the patience and understanding shown to him as something they deeply appreciated.

Following the tᩚraɢedy, Mariza’s sisters said they planned to continue participating in the Polar Plunge in honor of her and Francisco.

It was one way they hoped to keep their loved ones’ legacy alive.

A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY REMEMBERED FOR HIS KIND HEART

Among the four victims was Valentino, affectionately known as Tino.

At just 13 years old, he was an eighth-grade student at Kilmer International Academy.

His sudden dєatᩚh has devastated former teachers, classmates and members of the school community.

Kathy Schaper, who taught Valentino during both his first and fifth-grade years, remembered him as an exceptionally kind and gentle child.

She described him as someone who was always willing to help and who never had an unkind word for others.

“When people say he was a sweet boy, he was the definition of a sweet boy. Like, not a mean bone in his body,” she recalled.

For those who watched him grow up, the loss of Valentino is particularly difficult to accept.

A young boy who should have had many more years ahead of him is now being remembered through the stories and memories of the people whose lives he touched.

NEIGHBORS HEARD SCREAMS AS THE FIRE SPREAD

The fire unfolded in the early hours of Thursday morning, when many residents were still asleep.

Some neighbors said they were awakened by screams and sounds of people calling for help.

One resident described waking up after hearing people shouting and initially struggling to understand what was happening.

Another neighbor said the flames were spreading rapidly and that residents could smell smoke as they rushed outside.

The scene left people nearby shaken as emergency crews worked to control the blaze.

Authorities confirmed that the fire was concentrated in one townhome, but the consequences for the family and the surrounding community were devastating.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

HUNDREDS GATHER FOR EMOTIONAL CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

On Saturday evening, November 7, hundreds of people gathered outside the family’s home for a candlelight vigil.

Candles, flowers and prayers filled the area as neighbors, friends, former teachers and community members came together to remember Maria, Mariza, Francisco and Valentino.

The gathering was a powerful display of how deeply the family had touched the lives of people around them.

Valentino’s former teacher was among those remembering the family, describing the boy as someone whose kindness would never be forgotten.

One attendee reflected that the large turnout showed just how loved the family had been.

The memorial also became a place where people could offer comfort to relatives facing the unimaginable task of grieving four loved ones at once.

A fundraiser was established to help the family cover funeral expenses.

Donations poured in from neighbors, friends and people who had never personally met the victims but were moved by the tᩚraɢedy.

Relatives expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support and asked for time to grieve.

A FAMILY’S LEGACY WILL LIVE ON

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

The family had gathered to celebrate together just days before the tᩚraɢedy.

Mariza’s sisters said they hoped to continue that tradition in the years ahead, creating the altars in memory of their mother and sister.

They also planned to return to a restaurant that Mariza and Maria loved, keeping alive the small family traditions that had once brought them so much happiness.

For the surviving relatives, these memories are now precious reminders of the people they have lost.

Four lives were taken in a single devastating fire: a mother, her daughter and two young sons.

A family dog also perished.

But the stories shared by neighbors reveal something beyond the tᩚraɢedy — a family remembered for faith, generosity, kindness and the bonds they built with their community.

As investigators continue working to establish the cause of the fire, Rogers Park remains united in grief.

May Maria, Mariza, Francisco and Valentino rest in eternal peace. May their family find strength, and may the memories of their love and kindness never fade.

FOUR LIVES. THREE GENERATIONS. ONE FAMILY FOREVER MISSED.