FLATBUSH — A Pennsylvania father of two, who was visiting his ailing uncle, died after being found in his family's smoldering home Monday morning, police said.
A fire started inside the basement of 106 Marlborough Road, near Church Avenue, about 4:40 a.m. as Abiel Harry, his mom and uncle were all inside, according to family and FDNY officials.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 5:30 a.m. and found Harry, whose uncle suffers dementia and lives in the Marlborough Road address, unconscious in the home's kitchen, NYPD officials said.
Harry, who has a 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital, police said.
His mother couldn't hold back the tears after his death.
"My son was a very loving, caring person. He was a giver, always giving of himself. He thought more of the other person than he did himself," said Althea Gaines, said weeping.
A second person was treated for minor injuries at Maimonides Medical Center, an FDNY spokesman said. That person's identity wasn't immediately clear.
It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the fire. Fire marshals are investigating, FDNY officials said.
Family at the scene mourned Harry, an artist trained at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design who made pieces from vinyl records and hoped to soon get a bigger home for his kids.
"He was a good son, a loving father. You could only say the best. The Lord gave us and he takes away. I'm sorry he had to go this way. He had a long, vibrant life in front of him," said Harry's father, Danilo Kinch, 53.
"This was his life. This is what he loved doing, Kinch said, holding up a record cut into the shape of Rev. Run of Run DMC.
Danilo Kinch shows off the artwork of his son, Abiel Harry, who died Monday morning. (DNAinfo/Trevor Kapp)
