Alberto Revilla was already heartbroken after losing his dog Loki in a Bronx housing complex fire that also killed a young boy on Friday. So when his security cameras alerted him that someone had broken into the empty apartment, he and his wife were at a loss for words.
The fire at the Mott Haven housing complex broke out just after 5 p.m. Friday, according to police. Firefighters went door to door, clearing out every apartment. When they reached the third floor, they found the 6-year-old boy and his 32-year-old father unconscious in the hallway.
A short time later, Revilla said he watched two thieves going through his family's belongings in a live feed on his phone.
"People like that, to be honest, it's just despicable," the father of one said. "It's not fair that we're going to through a problem like this, and we're being victimized double."
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The home intruders took electronics, jewelry, including his wife Christine Rodriguez's wedding ring, and other valuable items that totaled $14,000, according to Revilla.
In addition to having to replace their belongings, Revilla and Rodriguez have to also tell their daughter that the family's beloved rescue dog had perished in the fire.
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"She's 4 years old and she's been asking for him. I don't know how to tell her," a tearful Revilla said. He had just gotten Loki almost exactly a year before the tragic fire and burglary.
Revilla said he reported the video to the NYPD and it turns out, his apartment wasn't the only one that was ransacked that night.
"I realized everything is missing," said Shaara Wright who lives on the 10th floor.
Wright found her apartment was missing TVs, video games and jewelry.
"I come home to nothing. It's like I worked for nothing. My husband worked for nothing. I made a beautiful home for my kids for nothing. I'm just sad that I gotta start all over from the beginning," she said.
Meanwhile, the father of the 6-year-old boy who died by what police believed to be smoke inhalation was still fighting for his life on Sunday. No other injuries were reported.
A cause of the fire had not yet been determined. An investigation is ongoing.
