HACIENDA HEIGHTS — Community members and businesses are working to assist a Hacienda Heights family that lost two members in a fatal fire earlier this week.
Virginia Gonzalez, 49, and her adopted 3-year-old son died in the fire, which broke out late Sunday at a home in the 1700 block of Piermont Drive, coroner’s and sheriff’s officials said.
The boy’s name was not released pending positive identification, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said.
Both the woman and child died as a result of “smoke inhalation and thermal burns,” he said, and the deaths were ruled to be accidental.
The fire was sparked by a candle left unattended in the home, sheriff’s investigators said.
Gonzalez was trying to rescue the toddler when she died, officials said.
Her husband was seriously injured rescuing the couple’s 9-year-old daughter from the home. The girl’s injuries were not major.
The father tried unsuccessfully to rescue his wife and son from the burning home as well before he was overcome by the smoke and flames, officials said.
Roundtable Pizza, 17170 Colima Road, will donate a portion of proceeds to the family Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., family friends said.
The Hacienda Heights Pizza Co., 15239 Gale Ave. in Industry, will also donate a portion of Tuesday’s profits to the Gonzalez family on Tuesday.
Members of a softball team that plays with Gonzalez’s daughter are planning a car wash to benefit the family Sept. 4 at Pit Stop LLC, 980 Turnbull Canyon Road in Industry.
Additionally, a bank account has been set up to help the family.
Those interested in contributing can donate to the Gonzalez Memorial Account, Wells Fargo account 8965800637.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS — A woman was trying to rescue her 3-year-old adopted son from a house fire Sunday when both were killed, officials said.
An unattended candle in the living room started the accidental house fire shortly before 11 p.m. in the 1700 block of Piermont Drive, Lt. Eduardo Hernandez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.
The names of the woman and child were not released Tuesday pending notification of family members, Los Angeles County Coroner’s Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
The 48-year-old woman’s husband and 9-year-old daughter were injured but survived the fire in the 1700 block of Piermont Drive, officials said.
“The cause of the fire was determined to be an unattended candle in the living room, which ignited and quickly engulfed the house,” Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Thomas said in a written statement.
No crime is suspected, and investigators ruled out arson, Hernandez said.
After the flames erupted, “The woman’s husband saved their daughter from the flames and carried her outside,” Thomas said.
Thomas said the man, 48, returned to the house to find his wife and the toddler. The wife had also returned to the home in search of the boy.
“She realized her son was back in there and went for her son,” Deputy Tony Moore said. But both the woman and the boy “were unable to be rescued until firefighters arrived,” Thomas said.
The woman and boy were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead, officials said.
The man and his daughter were taken to hospitals and treated for smoke inhalation, as well as for injuries the father suffered during the rescue attempt.
The father remained hospitalized in serious condition Tuesday, Hernandez said, while the girl had been released from the hospital.
There were no working smoke detectors in the home, Hernandez said.
He added that sounds which some nearby residents reported as gunshots during the fire were believed to be the sounds of the father breaking windows as he tried to rescue his children.
A memorial of flowers, stuffed animals, balloons, photographs and candles continued to grow in front of the remains of the burned home Tuesday.
A sign left by neighbors thanked others for their support, but asked that the candles at the memorial not be left burning unattended.
Neighbor Omar Aguilar said he was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the fire.
“They’re going to be missed,” he said. “This block’s never going to be the same again.”

HACIENDA HEIGHTS — Two gunman kidnapped, tied up and robbed a man and woman early Thursday as they were stopped at a red light, authorities said.
A 29-year-old West Covina woman and a 21-year-old La Puente man were stopped at a red light about 1:30 a.m. at Stimson Avenue and La Monde Street when two robbers approached them from behind, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Vic Sotelo said. Both robbers were armed with handguns.
“The suspects jumped in the rear seat of the car and told them to drive to a (nearby) parking lot,” the lieutenant said.
Once there, the gunmen bound the victims hands with plastic zip-ties and robbed them of their wallets, money, keys and other items, officials said.
The robbers, described as Latino men between 17 and 25 years old who were wearing dark clothing, then fled westbound on La Monde Street in a dark-colored Honda.
The victims managed to free themselves from their bindings and use a cell phone to call for help, Sotelo said.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS — Officials jailed a La Puente man early Wednesday on suspicion of drunken driving after he crashed his car into a bar, authorities said.
Raziel Gomez, 31, was being held in lieu of $5,000 bail in connection with the 12:05 a.m. non-injury crash at the Sunset Room Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, 2029 S. Hacienda Blvd., according to California Highway Patrol officials and sheriff’s booking records.
“He was driving a 1994 Lincoln Mark IV in the parking lot,” CHP Officer Joe Zizi said. “The vehicle collided with the perimeter wall of the Sunset Room.”
There were no passengers in the car, and no injuries were reported in connection with the crash, the officer said.
The car sustained “moderate” damage in the crash, while a 30-foot by 6-foot section of the business was damaged, Zizi added.
Investigating officers determined Gomez was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him, Zizi said.
Gomez was due for arraignment Thursday in El Monte Superior Court.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Two men, including one from Hacienda Heights and one from Downey, linked by authorities to an unspecified Mexican drug cartel and charged in one of the state’s largest-ever drug busts have been indicted in federal court.

Armando Saucedo, of Hacienda Heights, and Andrew Rios, of Downey, were indicted Wednesday on conspiracy and drug and gun possession charges. A third man, Adilson Reyes, of South Ogden, Utah, has already been charged and pleaded not guilty. The court earlier entered not guilty pleas on Rios’ and Saucedo’s behalf.

The men were arrested in January with over $1.2 million and $6.6 million worth of cocaine. An arresting agent’s affidavit says that at the time of his arrest, Reyes admitted he drove large shipments of cocaine from California to Rhode Island.

Lawyers for the men didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment.