Firefighter rescues two children from Fall River fire

By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff

FALL RIVER -- A firefighter made two trips into a burning apartment early this morning to save two young children after their mother's former boyfriend allegedly set fire to their home, police said.

The children -- a 6-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy -- were rushed to hospitals, where they are in critical condition, according to a release from the Fall River Fire Department.

The mother's former boyfriend -- identified by police as Luis Berrios, 20, of Norton -- was arrested by State Police during a motor vehicle stop on Interstate 95. Berrios pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Fall River District Court to charges of arson, home invasion, kidnapping a minor by a relative, and nine counts of attempted murder. He was ordered held on $750,000 cash bail and is due back in court on Nov. 23.

His lawyer, John Connors, said Berrios, who works for a trucking company, had been involved with Kedys Torres, 24, for five years. The couple had a 6-month-old daughter.

"He went to the apartment, he wasn't happy with the situation, he took his child out of the apartment," Connors said. "It was his child. There are no orders keeping him away from the child."

"I think it's a situation that he never meant to happen, but it got out of control."

Police responded to the apartment on Waluppa Heights at 12:49 a.m. and saw smoke pouring from the windows. The officers tried to enter the apartment but were driven back by heat and flames, police said.

The Fall River Fire Department arrived a few moments later, and Lieutenant Michael Cabral ran into the apartment and rescued the little boy from a bedroom, police said. Cabral then went back into the apartment to save the girl, police said.

Another firefighter performed CPR on the two children. The girl was rushed to St. Anne's Hospital and flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The boy was taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital and transferred to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, R.I.

"Our concerns are with those two children," said Chief John M. Suza, who called Cabral a hero today at a press conference at the Fall River Police Department "Hopefully, although they are critical, they are going to survive."

According to police, Berrios was angry when he came to the apartment, took his 6-month-old daughter, and set fire to a bedroom before leaving. Nine people were in the apartment when he allegedly set the blaze. Berrios brought his daughter to a relative's home in Providence before his arrest, police said.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.

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