East Palo Alto Family Seeks Answers After Teen Found Dead In Burned Out Trailer
EAST PALO ALTO (KPIX 5) – The grieving family of a 16-year old Miguel Melendez is demanding answers, after his burned body was found in a trailer in East Palo Alto last month. Melendez was not identified by authorities until last week.
"I want justice for my son," said Jose Montes, Miguel's stepfather. "I just want the truth, I just want to know what happened."
Motes recalled his stepson was, "a funny, outgoing person. He was big into skateboarding, that was his passion."
The fire department was called after midnight on April 24th to an abandoned industrial site, a popular hangout for East Palo Alto teens.
Investigators said Miguel and several friends had been drinking. It's not clear how the fire started, but police say the teens scattered and in the chaos and confusion, Miguel somehow got left behind.
"The family has a lot of questions. And we want to be able to answer 100 percent of their questions to give them closure whether it was accidental or not," said East Palo Alto police commander Jerry Alcaraz.
Outside Miguel's grandmother's house, family and friends have left photos and flowers, candles and well-wishes. It's a growing memorial for a young man who would have celebrated his 17th birthday later this month, but whose family is instead planning a funeral.
