The child killed in a house fire Friday had recently moved into the Stayton home where he died, relatives said Saturday.
“He was a young child, and he will be very dearly missed,” said Karen Pearce, of Aumsville, a relative who confirmed the victim was a 2-year-old boy.
“It’s a very devastating time.”
Several law enforcement agencies are investigating the fatal fire near downtown Stayton. Oregon State Police said Friday that the fire appeared to be intentionally set but have released few other details since then, including the victim’s name, age or gender. A Stayton Fire dispatcher referred all questions to the State Police.
State Police Capt. Timothy Fox said he doesn’t know when the agency will disclose more information because investigators decide when to make information public.
Pearce said the boy and his mother had been living at the Stayton home with friends. The house sits along Washington Street, near the heart of the Marion County town of 8,000.
Owner Adam Crowther said Antonio and Karen Cervantes had rented the home for five or six years. Pearce said the boy was not related to the couple. A working phone number to reach them wasn’t immediately available Saturday.
Crowther filed court papers in January to evict the couple under a 60-day no-cause process. All three attended a court hearing Thursday in Marion County Circuit Court and agreed to a move-out date of Feb. 10, Crowther said. A court document shows the tenants agreed to pay a balance of $858 by 5 p.m. Friday.
The house fire was reported at 3 p.m.
Crowther said he suspected other people were living in the two-story house but didn’t know who and for how long. He never knew a toddler lived there, he said.
Crowther drove to the house Friday after learning about the fire. Police blocked him from accessing the home, which is next to two other rental properties he owns.
“They wouldn’t tell me anything, and I can’t get into the building for a while, possibly days, to check for myself,” he said.
Pearce said the boy’s family knows little about what happened. Officers haven’t explained to them why the fire was described as arson. She said the family hopes that more facts come to light to end speculation.
Knowing what happened won’t resolve the family’s hurt but may eventually bring some solace, she said.
As the boy’s relatives grieve, Pearce said they find comfort in a growing memorial next door to the home.
-- Molly Young
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