Richmond fire tragedy: Mother still fighting for life as DA hits suspect with 3 murder charges

RICHMOND — As a 33-year-old mother continued to fight for her life Friday following injuries suffered in a fire that killed two of her children and her brother, her sister pleaded to the Bay Area community for help as the family tries to navigate its ensuing path.

On Friday afternoon, the Contra Costa District Attorney charged the man suspected of setting the fire with three counts of murder. The suspect, 32-year-old Sergio Rivera-Vega, was also charged with arson causing great bodily injury and is being held without bail.

“My mom and I are heartbroken and overwhelmed trying to process so much loss at once,” Evelin Rivera wrote on a verified fundraiser page seeking $65,000 for funeral and other expenses following the Tuesday tragedy, adding that the familiy “urgently needs help.”

The fundraiser had raised about $40,000 by 1 p.m. Friday.

The house fire — the second of two that started about 30 minutes apart in the 200 block of 15th Street — killed 47-year-old man, Jose Rivera, his 5-year-old nephew Andrew, and his 2-year-old niece, the criminal complaint names as Arlette, who is referred to in media reports as “Jolene.” The man died at the scene, the boy died in an ambulance en route to the hospital, and the 2-year-old died Thursday at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland.

Authorities have not identified them publicly. Police have said they are treating all three as homicides, bringing to eight the total such deaths in the city this year.

Rivera-Vega — who is related to all four victim — remained in custody in the Martinez County Detention Facility in lieu of $2.5 million bail, according to jail records. His arraignment has not yet been set.

Police have said they believe the fire was set intentionally. The other fire on the same street is not believed to be connected to the fatal fire.

“This tragedy has left us struggling to cover costs” for funeral and burial services, Rivera wrote. She also asked those unable to donate financially to share the fundraiser with others.

Richmond police spokesperson Lt. Joe England said early Friday that the mother remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries at a hospital. She and the other three victims were inside the house, where they lived along with Rivera-Vega, when it went ablaze.