Earlier this week, we told you the heartbreaking story of an Arkansas woman mourning the loss of her wheelchair-bound relatives – father, Anthony Mitchell, and step-brother Justin Mitchell – who were killed in the Eaton Fire in Southern California. Now, Anthony’s son Jordan Mitchell, who lived with and cared for his father and brother, is speaking out about the loss of his closest loved ones and their Altadena home.
In an interview with Los Angeles CBS affiliate KCAL, Jordan says he never left home without making sure there was a caretaker for his dad, who has been wheelchair-bound for a year after his leg was amputated, and his brother, who lives with cerebral palsy.
But when the fires erupted in their Altadena neighborhood on Jan. 8, Jordan was in the hospital due to medical issues of his own and unable to help.
“That’s my worst nightmare — that I wouldn’t be home, I wouldn’t be around them, and something would happen and someone [gets] hurt,” he said.
Jordan said his father called 911 when the fires started to ask for help evacuating his home, but emergency personnel couldn’t get to his home in time. After waiting nearly twelve hours for help to arrive, Anthony and his son tragically died in the fire, as KCAL reports.
“His last words were ‘help us,’” Jordan said. “He was trying to get him and my brother out of here.”
Now, Jordan, who is living with relatives, says he is angry that no one was able to save his dad and brother and is trying to raise money to rebuild the home his family has lived in for decades.
“Out of my immediate family, I’m the only one left,” he said. “No one deserves that, especially not my dad and brother.”