Army Medic Heard Sister's Pleas for Help From Inside Raging House Fire

"The last words I heard from my sister were, 'Somebody help me,'" the U.S. Army medic told NBC 7 in an exclusive interview

Hours after fire swept through his family's home, a U.S. Army medic recalled the last words he heard from his sister, a young Southern California preschool teacher who perished in the blaze.

Vanessa De La Cruz, 22, died Monday in an early morning fire at her home on Alameda Way in Bonita.

Her oldest brother, who asked NBC 7 San Diego not to identify him by name, was treated for smoke inhalation.

He managed the composure to get his younger brother out safely and made his best effort to help save his older sister.

“The fire started literally in the middle of the house,” he told NBC 7 in an exclusive interview.

It would be the rescue of his young life. Startled awake by his father yelling fire, not only did this U.S. Army medic get himself to safety but also carried out his 9-year-old brother.

“It's my job. I'm a medic. It's what I do. My first instinct wasn't me, it was, ‘Let's get everyone out safely,’” he said.

The fire burned fast and the smoke was suffocating. Still, his 51-year-old father and 47-year-old mother escaped.

It was only after they were all together outside of the home that the family realized Vanessa was still inside.

“I grabbed the ladder, ran to the window and punched a hole in the window. I was saying, ‘Try to follow my voice. Come here,’” Vanessa’s brother said.

The fire was too hot and smoke too thick to go back inside. Vanessa did not make it to the window.

“The last words I heard from my sister were, ‘Somebody help me.’ So she was yelling. That's the last thing I heard from my sister,” the victim’s brother said.

Vanessa was a pre-school teacher at Kids Depot in Otay Ranch.

Administrators shared photos and a memorial with the staffers and parents. 

"Vanessa was an integral part of the Kids Depot family. She was a teacher who brought joy and love to all of the staff and children. Her passion for life and happiness filled our school every day," Kids Deport owners Reuben and Natasha Katz said.

The cause of the fire is still a mystery to family. Whether it was an accident or something more sinister investigators can't say.

Kid's Depot is holding a vigil to honor Vanessa's memory at its Child Development Center Tuesday night at  7 p.m.

Contact Us