Camden apartment fire claims life of 22-month-old

Marcos Sosa of Camden was shaken from his sleep by the screams.

"Oh, my God! Oh my God!" he heard someone yelling from above his first-floor unit in the Gramercy Park Apartments. When he ran outside, he saw flames burning so furiously one neighbor described them as looking "evil and alive."

The blaze in a second-floor apartment in the two-story A building of the 104-unit complex started about 1:30 a.m. Saturday,neighbors said, and by the time it was under control, it had claimed the life of a 22-month-old child and injured others, including members of the child's family.

Officials did not identify the child or the injured, but neighbor Kashon Russ, who said she was a family friend, identified the occupants of the apartment as Galaxy Brown, 22; her boyfriend, Troy Floyd Brown, 20; and sons Elijah, 4 months; and Dontae, 22 months.

The cause of the fire had not yet been identified, Camden Fire Chief Michael Harper said early Saturday. In late afternoon, Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, said authorities had not determined whether the fire was accidental or criminal but were still investigating. If the cause was accidental, authorities will likely not identity the victims, he said.

The four-alarm blaze rousted neighbors from bed when many heard what sounded like an explosion.

Galaxy Brown, who neighbors said works in a nursing home, was in the living room with Troy Floyd Brown when she heard a boom so loud it shook the walls and caved in the ceiling, said Russ, who was talking by phone Saturday with Galaxy Brown.

Brown was holding her 4-month-old when the fire broke out, Russ said. Troy Brown ran toward the bedroom to save Dontae, who was sleeping, but the smoke was too thick, Russ said. The adults managed to escape, but Troy Brown tried to go back in, and was again stopped by the smoke, Russ said. He was burned in that attempt, Russ said. Firefighters later brought out Dontae as the family watched, neighbors said.

Neighbor Yaeira Torres, 32, said she took Galaxy, Troy, and Elijah Brown to Cooper University Hospital about 2 a.m. A spokesman for the hospital declined to comment. On Saturday, Russ said Galaxy Brown was staying with family in Merchantville and Troy and Elijah Brown were due to be released from the hospital later in the day. Two other fire victims were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center and released shortly after.

Sosa stood outside his burned-out apartment on Saturday, patiently waiting for the Camden County chapter of the American Red Cross to arrive. He and his wife, Raquel, their three sons, and a brother-in-law have lived in the first-floor unit for eight years. They escaped without injury.

A passing neighbor asked the Sosas whether they had eaten since the fire. She returned with food, and said, "I'm sorry for your loss."

As the afternoon wore on, more neighbors came out to look, PSE&G arrived to shut off gas lines, and trucks were parked outside the complex with planks to board up the building and fence to cordon it off.