Hot Stove In Minivan Ignited Blaze That Killed Girl, 6: Police

FRIDLEY, MN — Authorities say a hot stove placed inside a minivan ignited the Tuesday blaze that killed a girl who was in a nearby vehicle at the time. Ty’rah White, 6, died as a result of the severe burns she suffered.

Her 9-year-old sister, who was in the same vehicle, remains in critical condition.

Roberto Lino Hibolito, 71, was identified as the owner of the initial vehicle that caught fire. He has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and negligent fire.

Just after 7 a.m. on Aug. 6, Fridley police and fire departments were sent to a Walmart store at 8450 University Ave NE for a report of a vehicle fire in the parking lot. Moments later, they learned a second vehicle had caught fire.

At the scene, authorities removed two children, ages 6 and 9, from the minivan and transported them to Hennepin County Medical Center.

The children's mother had been in Walmart at the time of the fire, according to police.

Hibolito's spouse was in the initial vehicle that caught fire, but was able to escape, investigators said. Hibolito's vehicle was identified as a Dodge Caravan with North Carolina license plates.

Officers interviewed Hibolito, who said he and his wife parked and slept overnight in the van in the parking lot. Investigators viewed surveillance video from just prior to the fire, which shows Hibolito placing the stove on the pavement by the rear of his minivan and cooking something on it.

The complaint states that after cooking, "and without significant time to allow the stove to cool," Hibolito put the stove in the rear of his minivan. Moments later, the vehicle was driven to a parking spot closer to the store entrance.

Two minutes after Hibolito left the minivan and entered the Walmart, his wife was told by a passerby that the rear of the vehicle is on fire. She got out and tried to remove belongings, but the fire quickly intensified, police said.

Within four minutes, the two vehicles on each side of the van were also on fire, including the one from which the two children were ultimately found.

Both adjacent vehicles sustained significant damage and are likely demolished, authorities said.

According to the complaint, Hibolito admitted he used the stove that morning to cook, then placed it into the rear of the minivan. He also admitted that before moving to the closer parking spot, he had tossed pillows and blankets near the stove in his vehicle.

A GoFundMe page has been established for the girl killed in the fire. Donations will go to the family to help cover funeral costs.

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