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Continued from Page 1 Carroll said. Relatives, parents and friends are trying to organize memorials in the meantime as they await the release of the bodies. Before her son Tony was identified Tuesday, Dawna Mata was frus trated as she tried to plan a memorial service and funeral. “It’s totally frustrating,” she said. “I've had friends call and parents call and family from out of town, all wanting to know what they can do and when they can come down. I don't know when to tell them.” Carroll said authorities are work ing as quickly as they can to identify the remaining victims. “We have some ideas (who they are), but until we have proof posi tive, there’s no way the medical examiner is going to release a deceased's remains to one family,” he said. “We will release them one at a time if we have to, as we get them.” Meanwhile, Carroll also made a special point of dispelling rumors that are circulating, mostly among teenagers, that foul play might have played a role in the fire that killed the boys. Carroll said there is absolutely no indication of foul play and instead said the facts point to carbon monoxide poisoning, as ruled by the medical examiner Monday. Carroll also said debris was found under the bodies and soot and smoke was found in the teens’ lungs and throats, further illustrating they were not dead before the fire. Police and fire officials say the blaze that broke out before 5 a.m. was likely caused by “human activ ity,” possibly smoking. Investigators say the couch in the family room was the point of origin. The fire ravaged the house, but three children sleeping upstairs escaped unharmed, as 14-year-old Cypriana MacNeal-Young herded her two young brothers out of the house to safety. Meanwhile, on Tuesday Schaum burg village crews put up a six-foot fence around the property to secure the gutted house. The house will most likely be torn down and that process could take at least one month. “Our intent is to move quickly to contact the beneficiaries of the trust to find out what they’re going to do with the contents of the house,” Schaumburg Village Manager Ken Fritz said. Officials at Northwest Suburban Academy in Arlington Heights held extended homeroom time Tuesday to give students and teachers an opportunity to talk about the sudden loss of three students. Juan Cernak-Young started at the alternative school this year, Billy Foster started two years ago, and Tony Mata came to the school in late spring, Principal John Rekas said. A special student activities com mittee is meeting at the school today to plan a memorial for the three students, Rekas said. “This is nothing normal. This is a pretty unique event,” Rekas said. “We'll still keep an eye on a handful of kids we identified as being pretty fragile right now.” Juan Cernak- Young Billy Foster Sergio Caballero Tony Mata
Newspaper Details
Arlington Heights Daily Herald Suburban Chicago
Arlington Heights, Illinois, US
Wed, Oct 16, 2002
Page 115
Full Page
Clipped by
Nicole B.
USA 09 Jun 2026
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