Six garbage bags were found in a hotel room, one of which had been ripped apart while the others remained undamaged. They are Erica Ferguson’s belongings, which were destroyed in a fire earlier this week. The woman said that her children’s belongings were also ruined.
“I’m scared to open all my stuff. I think that’s when it will finally hit me that everything’s gone,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson claimed to be studying at home. It was around 3 a.m. when her dog, Snowball, started barking.
“When I eventually woke up to see what was going on, I smelled smoke,” Ferguson explained.
According to San Antonio Fire Department officials, the fire started in one of the Cottages in Terrell Hills and soon spread to the attic. It eventually caused one of the buildings to collapse, displacing 18 people, including four children.
There were no reported injuries.
According to SAFD, the fire was suspicious in nature. In connection with the incident, Bren Garza, 39, has been charged with arson.
Ferguson claimed he’d been a nuisance since Garza moved in a few months back.
“He didn’t tell anyone there was a fire,” Ferguson claimed. “So, when he proceeded down the steps, his intention was to let everyone burn.”
Ferguson described the complex’s community as close-knit. She claimed to have friendships with several of her neighbors. She claimed that just a few days before the incident, one of her neighbors brought her watermelon to share with Ferguson’s family.
Such connections, she claims, will be difficult to replicate.
“My sister was working outside. My next-door neighbors worked hard for everything they had. “Everyone worked hard for their homes, and now it’s all gone,” Ferguson explained.
The mother went on to explain that she is glad she was awake when her dog began barking. She stated that she has a place to stay until August, and that the Salvation Army has also stepped in to assist. Despite this, she stated that it is not her home.
“It’s not where my plants are “Ferguson stated: “It’s not the memories I’ve placed there. That’s all gone.”
Garza is being jailed on a bond of $90,000 dollars.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Ferguson, as well as a campaign for another family affected by the incident.
