OAK CLIFF — Marisol Perez and her 18-month-old son, Eric Jr. Perez, were killed in a deadly apartment explosion in Oak Cliff, Dallas, on Thursday. The blast occurred in an apartment complex near Adamson High School, and Dallas firefighters reported that three people died in the incident.
Perez’s 9-year-old daughter, Vanessa, survived the explosion with only minor scratches. The family believes neighbor Rodney Brown helped rescue Vanessa from the rubble. “Something was in my instinct just to save her,” Brown said. The family is waiting to bring Marisol and Eric Jr. home to plan a funeral.
Nora Carmona described Perez as a loving mother and daughter who “was just enjoying life with her kids and her husband.” Carmona added, “Everything about her was just love.” Activist Carlos Quintanilla said the family deserves answers about the explosion. “So that there'll be closure. So that the family knows how Marisol died. Why she died, what was the cause, and what is the reason that she's no longer with us today,” Quintanilla said.
Piles of rubble remain at the explosion site, including remnants of people's belongings and homes.