Family members sifted through the mess left by a huge house fire, trying to recover any physical remembrances of the two people who died there over the weekend.
Angel Rice and Cody Watts could not escape the flames that engulfed a house in the 700 block of South Grade Road early Saturday morning.
Four people were sleeping in the home when the fire sparked: Cody, Angel, her husband John, and her daughter Brittnee Gilmer.
Cody, Brittnee’s boyfriend, was visiting from Virginia for eight days. His family told NBC 7 he was supposed to leave Saturday before the fire, but he decided to stay longer.
As flames filled the home, Brittnee said she broke a window and jumped out to safety. Her stepfather John was able to get out as well, and doctors say he is in good condition at UCSD Medical Center. Angel and Cody died in the fire, as did Brittnee’s dog, Ricky.
Now, all Brittnee and John have left are some photos and a music box discovered in the rubble — a surprise given the fire’s intensity.
David Bruce, the family’s landlord who lives on the same property, met the Rices at church, and they have been renting his second home for about a year and a half.
“They are very nice people,” Bruce said. “They brought me supper many times, most every night. Called me and asked me if I wanted supper. And they also helped around the place a lot, fixing things.”
Cody’s family said they will hold a candlelight vigil for him on the beach in Hampton, Virginia.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help Brittnee and John, who have nothing but the clothes in which they ran out.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the San Diego County Sheriff’s arson-bomb team. Bruce said the home was renovated a year and a half ago with all new wiring and everything was up to date.
On Wednesday, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office also confirmed the identities of the victims as Angel Rice and Cody Watts.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) told NBC 7 there was no new or additional information to release on the deadly fire Wednesday and said no one had been detained or charged in this case.
SDSO officials said they are actively investigating this case and consider it a top priority.
