by ALAN FEUER
A three yr old boy died and two of his siblings were critically injured early yesterday in a Brooklyn apartment fire that erupted as their mother went out briefly to speak to the young boy's father, according to fire officials and family members. The boy, identified by his family as Joshua Alexander Maldonado, was killed in a third-floor apartment at 200 Newport Street, in Brownsville. His half brother, Jamel Dennis, 9, and his half sister, Triena Dennis, 12, were injured and taken to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in critical condition, the police said. Jamel was later moved to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The authorities said a candle in the apartment may have ignited a blanket or comforter. They added that when firefighters, responding to an emergency call shortly after 7 a.m., arrived at the brick building, they found the children behind a locked door trying to escape. The authorities said they also rescued a 40-year-old man suffering from smoke inhalation. Neighbors identified him as the boyfriend of Daisy Cruz, the children's mother. Jesus Garcia, Joshua's grandfather, said that the family may have indeed been hindered in escaping by an extra lock placed on the inside of the apartment's front door. "Everybody has a key - there's always a key in the door," Mr. Garcia said. He added, however, that he had no clue why the children had trouble getting out. Ms. Cruz, a home health aide, went out only briefly and returned to the sight of firefighters pulling the burned bodies of her children from the blaze, her friends and family said. "She's in shock," said Nativided Maldonado, who described herself as an old friend of Ms. Cruz's. Outside the hospital, Chris Streche, a cousin of Ms. Cruz's, said with tears in his eyes that Ms. Cruz had been weeping in the emergency ward. "She's devastated," he said. "What do you expect?" Hours after Joshua died, a small shrine of flowers, stuffed animals, greeting cards and photographs of the young boy had already sprung up outside the apartment at Newport Street and Rockaway Avenue. "He's smart," said Joshua's 12-year-old sister, Diana Maldonado. "He's very active. He likes to play a lot. He can walk and talk a little." The boy's father, Kenneth Maldonado Sr., was seen outside the apartment, at one point punching the wall in grief and rage. "Right now, I have to think about my son's funeral," he said. Natalie Bassett, Joshua's aunt, said that Mr. Maldonado lived in Virginia, where he owns a construction business. She added that he came to Brooklyn on Friday to pick up Joshua and the other children to take them south for a month, but that Ms. Cruz did not want to let the children go. Arlene King, a neighbor, said she could not believe the bad luck of Ms. Cruz, who was gone only a short time when the fire erupted. "She's a good mother," Ms. King said. "She's very attentive. She would never put her kids in harm's way." At the hospital, Brenda Aviles, Ms. Cruz's sister-in-law, described Triena as "a grown-up woman." Although she is only 12, Ms. Aviles said, "she was always taking of her little brothers." Meanwhile, outside the apartment, Jason Perez, visiting the neighborhood from Hartford, stood with his 18-month-old daughter, Simone, in his arms. "She was just playing with him yesterday," Mr. Perez said. "One minute you're here, and the next you're not." Abeer Allam and Janon Fisher contributed reporting for this article.
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