Cristian Pavon: Family of Texas boy, 11, who died in mobile home raise $81K on GoFundMe, sue ERCOT for $100M
CONROE, TEXAS: The family of a Texas boy, who allegedly froze to death after the family’s mobile house lost power during an intensely cold day in Texas, has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the region’s utility providers, blaming them for the loss of their son.
On Tuesday, February 16, 11-year-old Cristian Pavon Pineda was found unresponsive under a pile of blankets in a bed that he had been sharing with his three-year-old stepbrother, according to his family. His mother, Maria Elisa Pineda, told Univision that she initially wasn't concerned when Cristian didn't get up in the morning since he was known for sleeping in. However, when she went to check up on Cristian, she made a shocking discovery. "He was already dead," she told The Houston Chronicle.
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She further narrated that her son had been out playing outside the previous day as it was his "first time" seeing snow since their arrival to the US from Honduras two years ago. "That's why he was excited outside," she explained. "Everything was well. He was happy that day. He was not at all sick."
According to the mom, Cristian was outside for not more than half an hour before she brought him in when his winter gloves became wet. He had dinner, played and was in bed by 11 pm. Cristian was still responsive when his stepfather, Manuel Moreno, woke up in the middle of the night to check on him, his aunt Jaliza Yera told KTRK. "He made sure they were okay," Yera said. "They were still breathing. He covered them up, patted them and went back to sleep. "We still did CPR until the fire department came and they took over and within a minute they told us it was too late."
Reports suggest that power grid operator ERCOT and electricity provider Entergy failed to warn the residents of the dangerous conditions and gave incomplete guidance to customers during the recent historic cold, the family charges.
His autopsy was done on Thursday, February 18. It could take several weeks before a cause of death is confirmed. "By all other means, he was a normal, healthy child," Sgt Jeff Smith, a spokesperson for the Conroe Police Department, said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds to send Cristian's remains back to Honduras to be with his grandparents. According to the page: "Due to low temperatures seen in the Conroe area, this family went without electricity for two days. The early morning of February 16 dropped to 12 degrees. Cristian was found lifeless. We are trying to raise funds to be able to transfer the body to Honduras. His wish was to see his grandparents again and that is what the mother wants to fulfill, please help with whatever you can in order to hopefully be able to achieve this, God bless you." The page was created with a goal to raise $5,000 but it raised $81,469.