Prayer Vigil To Be Held For Mother, Son Who Died In Fire

FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) - A prayer vigil is scheduled for Sunday for the mother and son who were killed as a result of a house fire in Fort Worth.

Members of South Fort Worth Baptist Church went door-to-door, handing out fliers and inviting neighbors to a prayer vigil for Karla Guajardo and her son, Jesus, who was believed to be around 6 years old and was affectionately called "Coco."

Jackie Gouge, the outreach coordinator for the church, said the vigil will be in English and Spanish and the public is invited to attend.

The vigil is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Flavio Saldivar sustained serious burns to his face and hands and is recovering at Parkland Hospital.

Thursday, an electrical malfunction sparked a fire at the home on West Bolt Street in Fort Worth.

Saldivar had taken medicine for a cold and had fallen asleep in a bedroom while his fiancé, Guajardo, and their son watched television, according to Jose Ortiz, Saldivar's uncle.

The couch caught fire and Guajardo woke Saldivar, Ortiz said.

Saldivar attempted to open the front door but it wouldn't open and the fire continued to spread quickly around them, Ortiz said.

The backdoor could not be opened because they had placed a padlock on the outside of the door after a robbery scare months ago, Ortiz said.

As Saldivar attempted to break a window, Coco ran towards the bedroom. Guajardo ran after him and Saldivar ran after both of them.

Saldivar told his uncle he was feeling around for them but was overwhelmed with smoke and fire. He then broke a window and jumped out of the home.

By then firefighters had begun to arrive. They asked Saldivar if there were people inside and he told them his fiancé and son were inside.

Minutes later, firefighters removed Guajardo and Coco from the home and began performing CPR.

The boy and his mother died the next day. Guajardo was pregnant, Ortiz said.

At the home, neighbors placed flowers, teddy bears, candles and toys, in remembrance of the victims.

The surrounding community hopes their prayers will help Saldivar recover not only from his burns but the tragic loss of his loved ones.

Donations are being accepted at Wells Fargo under the Karla Guajardo Memorial Family Fund.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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