Coroner: 4-year-old boy dead after Mundelein house fire

A 4-year-old boy is dead following a house fire in Mundelein overnight Monday, according the Lake County coroner’s office.

The boy, Christopher Alfaro-Rodriguez, died from smoke inhalation as a result of the fire, according to preliminary autopsy results reported by the coroner’s office Monday.

Mundelein fire crews were called to the one-story, single-family home on the 200 block of Dalton Avenue just after 12:20 a.m. by neighbors.

Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and fire showing from three sides of the home, fire officials said.

Family members on scene reported the boy was missing and firefighters made multiple attempts to reach him in the basement of the home, but were driven back by heavy flames and smoke as well as stairs and flooring that was compromised by the flames, fire officials said.

Next-door neighbor Venkat Murali said he was watching television when the commotion started. He went outside along with several other neighbors to see what has happening in the usually quiet neighborhood.

He saw someone try and enter the home before firefighters arrived, but they were unsuccessful.

He has known the family next door for about two years.

“They’re great people and it’s really unfortunate,” he said. “Everyone is visibly shaken up around here.”

A makeshift memorial for the boy was growing in size outside the home as people dropped off flowers and stuffed toys near a parkway tree in front.

Fire officials remained on scene until about 8:30 a.m., but investigators from a county task force and the state fire marshal remain on the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The house was rendered uninhabitable and sustained an estimated $400,000 in damage, according to fire officials.

Mundelein Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Lockwood said it’s been over a decade since the department dealt with a deadly fire.