SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - What was meant to be a joyful new chapter in the lives of Raymond Lafave and his girlfriend Brenda has ended in tragedy after an explosion ripped through their Tijuana apartment, leaving the couple and Brenda's 5-year-old son in critical condition.
According to close friend Wallace Plue, Lafave, a shipyard worker in San Diego, had moved into the third-floor beach-area apartment with Brenda and her son Brandon just two weeks ago, after the couple had met about a year earlier.
"When they met, it just brightened up his life. They were in love,” Plue said. "He was always so ecstatic, so thrilled to be with her. Finally, they could be together."
The explosion occurred around 5 p.m. on Monday, just as Lafave was turning on the stove to cook dinner for the family. Earlier that day, Lafave had the utilities turned on.
"He turns on the stove and the whole place just erupts," Plue recounted.
The blast transformed the apartment into an inferno, but Plue said LaFaye was able to get Brenda and Brandon out of the home, though all three suffered severe burns covering nearly their entire bodies.
”The dryer exploded into the master bedroom, and from there he was on fire and ran into the shower," Plue said.
Plue rushed to a Tijuana hospital after hearing the news, and was able to see Lafaye briefly.
"When I first went in, he said, 'How is the boy?' and 'Tell Brenda I love her.' I said I would."
Later that day, Plue helped arrange for an ambulance to transport Lafave across the border to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest, where he is expected to survive. Brenda remains in critical condition at a Tijuana hospital, while Brandon was airlifted to a children's hospital in Sacramento, also in critical condition.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help cover the family's mounting medical expenses.
Tijuana authorities say the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
"It's just a tragedy," Plue said. “They were so happy. So much love, and in an instant, it was taken away from them."
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