Owner of East Garfield Park building filed for bankruptcy two weeks before partial collapse killed 1, injured 2

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The owner of an East Garfield Park building that partly collapsed on Tuesday, killing one man and injuring two others, filed for bankruptcy about two weeks before the incident.

Court records confirm Katie Simmons, who owns the graystone three-flat at 3418 W. Jackson Blvd. filed for bankruptcy on March 30. That case is still pending.

A stone cornice that ran along the edge of the roof of that building failed and collapsed onto an overhead porch structure Tuesday afternoon, sending stone crashing down to the front stairs and the ground.

Police said three men were all sitting on the front porch of the building when the stones fell. Firefighters quickly jumped into action after the men found themselves trapped.

Two men -- one 32 and one 52 -- were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. They were injured when they were crushed by the stone.

A third man was also crushed by the stone and was left trapped under heavy debris, and crews worked with tools to free him. The Fire Department confirmed the man did not survive. The man was later identified as Anthony Wright, 52, by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.  

Sekou Bey said he and his son were driving on Jackson Boulevard when he saw large smoke billowing from the building.

"I heard a big boom. Smoke was clouded everywhere," said Sekou Bey, who jumped in to help. "So as we passed the smoke, the first gentleman who was injured, he was screaming: 'Hey! Help! Help! Help!'" Bey said. "So I told my son to pull over."

They took action right away.

"I was moving the blocks off of his head because he was kind of covered up in stones and everything - so I picked it up and moved that," Bey said, "But the other gentleman who was pinned under the big block - his head was split open."

Greg Augustus lives across the street. He heard the building partially collapse.

"Too hard to kind of explain like how 500 to 600 pounds would sound hitting concrete from a three-story building," Augustus said.

He joined Bey in jumping into action. Both men used their bare hands to move heavy stones.

"I moved, myself, two to three stones. One, you had trapped between his back and shoulder and like leaning over," Augustus said. "They weren't that big – they were able to be picked up - but this slab."

Family members were seen crying in devastation when they arrived on the scene after seeing the collapse.

One family member, Junwon Griffin, said he rushed to the scene as soon as he heard about the collapse - and said he's hoping for the best for the two men now in the hospital.

CBS 2's Kris Habermehl reported the building dates back from the turn of the last century. The architecture of the building resembled the Parthenon – with a pitched roof in front, and a cornice hanging overhead to deflect water from the walls.

The building failed an inspection in 2015. The owners were cited for eight different violations, including "[failing] to maintain the exterior walls of a building or structure free from holes, breaks, loose or rotting boards or timbers and any other conditions which might admit rain or dampness to the walls."

An inspector said that the first through third floors had washed out mortar.

The other violations included a defective door and defective screens throughout, and missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

An official with the Chicago Buildings Department was on scene late Monday determining whether the home needs emergency demolition or if it can be secured. The department later released the following statement:

"The Department of Buildings is working diligently to investigate the partial collapse at 3418 W. Jackson Blvd. and wants to express condolences to those impacted by this horrible tragedy. The City is working to abate the dangerous conditions and will be onsite throughout the evening to remove any unstable portions of the building. As the investigation continues, the buildings department will develop a clearer picture of what occurred and provide updates accordingly."