Crime & Safety

Fire Victim Named: Beatriz Reyna, 97

The woman who died in last night's house fire on King Drive in El Cerrito was Beatriz Reyna, 97, the Contra Costa County Coroner's office said this morning.

Authorities today released the name of the woman who died in the fire that consumed a home on King Drive near Moeser Lane last night.

She was Beatriz Reyna, 97, according to the Contra Costa County Coroner's bureau.

She was at the home at 984 King Dr. with her son, Manuel Reyna, and 11-year-old granddaughter when the fire started, said Battalion Chief Michael Bond of the El Cerrito Fire Department. Bond said the son tried unsuccessfully to get his mother out of the house, which firefighters found fully engulfed in flames when they arrived shortly after getting the call at 6:24 p.m.

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Manual Reyna suffered minor injuries and was transported to Alta Bates hospital, where he was treated and later released, Bond said. The girl was not injured, Bond said.

The two-alarm fire — battled by firefighters from El Cerrito, Kensington and Richmond — is believed to have been caused by a candle in the woman's bedroom, Fire Chief Lance Maples said.

Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The cause of the woman's death is still under investigation, but Bond said it probably was smoke inhalation. Maples said the house was filled with dense black smoke down to the floor when firefighters arrived on the scene.

A 66-year-old El Cerrito man, Richard Alonzo, was arrested at the scene by police after he refused orders to stop interfering with firefighters, El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Scott Cliatt said today.

"Despite numerous warnings from officers, Mr. Alonzo continued to interfere and physically grabbed a firefighter who was in the process of delivering equipment to the scene," Cliatt said. He was booked for investigation of obstructing police, disobeying a firefighter and public drunkenness, Cliatt said.


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