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Relatives Flying in from Colombia to Mourn Elmhurst Fire Victim

By Katie Honan | October 9, 2013 12:49pm
 A woman died when an Elmhurst home was engulfed in flames early Monday, sources said.
A woman died when an Elmhurst home was engulfed in flames early Monday, sources said.
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DNAinfo/Trevor Kapp

ELMHURST — Relatives of the mom who died in an Elmhurst house fire were flying in from Colombia to mourn her as her son, who was also injured in the blaze, continued to fight for his life, family said.

Stella Balcazar, 57, was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital in cardiac arrest and with severe burns from the blaze at her home on 74th Street, which was sparked by an unattended candle, according to the FDNY.

Her only son, 20-year-old James Steven Abonia, was still in critical condition Wednesday, with burns on his arms and hands, his uncle told DNAinfo New York.

He made it out of the house in the 3:30 a.m. blaze, but was covered in flames, witnesses said.

He was rushed to Weill-Cornell Hospital where he is still being treated for third-degree burns, an FDNY spokesman and his uncle, Carlos Balcazar, said.

"His two arms and two hands are burned very bad," Balcazar told DNAinfo New York.

Carlos Balcazar said he was waiting for his brother and sister to fly in from Colombia before finalizing funeral plans for his sister.