Butte County Arson Fires, You Decide. Arson?

2005-10-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

We have a new web site, and here is the link to it.

http://www.fightingbuttecounty.4t.com

Pamela Mulaskey

2005-09-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

I believe that it is important to explain what Title 18 is by posting the US Code Collection in part, so that it is clear what a County is supposed to do by law, and by posting the US Code Collection, the law being broken can also be clearly seen.

I must give credit to the Legal Information Institute for having this information available to the public. We are not affiliated with the Legal Information Institute with this case. This information came from their website located at: http://www.law.cornell.edu/

This section of the US Code teaches about racketeering activites.

US CODE COLLECTION

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TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 96 > § 1961
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§ 1961. Definitions

Release date: 2004-08-06

As used in this chapter—
(1) “racketeering activity” means
(A) any act or threat involving murder, kidnapping, gambling, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act), which is chargeable under State law and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year;
(B) any act which is indictable under any of the following provisions of title 18, United States Code: Section 201 (relating to bribery), section 224 (relating to sports bribery), sections

2005-09-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

This was the orginal article in the Oroville Mercury Register concerning our arson fire. It doesn't have the photograph.

Online archives from the Oroville Mercury Register

December 15, 2002 Fire destroys residences, ministry By DAVID A. ANDERSEN/City Editor A well-known southside family and the recently formed Team J.C. Task Force are beginning the work of recovery from a devastating Thursday night fire. A double-wide mobile home burned to the ground, a second mobile home was damaged, and computers, Christmas baskets, clothing and other items of the multiple outreach ministries were destroyed. "Our fantastic family lost everything," said Ken Doty, Outreach Consultant for the task force. The fire struck three properties located at 4925 Lincoln Boulevard. Don and Zette Etter, LaRose Mello, Pamela Mulaskey and David and Kristy Lopez found themselves suddenly homeless. The ministry headquarters for the Team J.C. Task Force was flanked by the residences. On Monday, LaRose Mello remained in the hospital recovering from smoke inhalation. She and her deceased husband, George, were charter Eagles members. Zette Etter spent several days in the hospital recovering as well. None of the damage was covered by insurance, according to Doty and Wes Peden, pastor of the task force. Temporary housing, food and some clothing was provided by the Red Cross. An Etter home trust fund has been set up at Bank of the West in Oroville. Included in the loss were 26 Christmas baskets prepared for distribution, and 47 surplus computers that were being refurbished for delivery to underprivileged kids in the community. Clothing giveaways are just one of the ministries at the location. In the last two months more 1,700 coats were given away, according to Peden. The Team J.C. Task Force was formally organized about three months ago. "People could come and get what they needed," said Peden. "We're not going to stop," he continued. Efforts are underway to salvage what can be rescued from the site, and to continue the ministries. People interested in making donations or wanting more information may contact Pastor Peden at 513-0391, or 533-5069; or Ken Doty at 533-2685.

2005-09-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Death Threat Put In Our Car On, September 4, 2005.

2005-09-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

AFTER THE FIRE

After the fire, the remaining mobile home of LaRose Mello was vandalized, and had nearly all of LaRose's Jewelry stolen, which was worth quite a bit of money, and this letter below was written to some Butte County authoraties about this below. I will be posting the pictures of what we found in the mobile after the fire after this. The details of the investigation will follow.

Pamela Mulaskey

To :
Sheriff Perry Reniff
District Attorney Mike Ramsey
All other interested parties

From :
Rev Wes Peden
Team J.C. Task Force

Re :
Lack of protection

I am writing this on behalf of the board members of my ministry, Don Etter, Zette Etter, Pamela Mulaskey, and on behalf of Mrs Etters elderly mother, LaRose Mello, and Ms Mulaskeys children, Kristy Lopez and David Lopez. On Friday, December 13, their home burned to the ground, along with our ministry headquarters, and all of the Christmas items for our ministry. The fire was arson, and the terrorism has not stopped. The day after the fire, someone(s) broke into the damaged home of Mrs Mello, and stole most of what she had left. Even after boarding up the home, the breakins continue, on through tonight, December 30.
Over the past several years these people have called time and again for help, because they were being terrorized by someone. No action was taken in the matter. I listen to what people tell me, but do not act until I can verify the story personally as the truth. I was told by these people that certain individuals had threatened them with firearms. When I personally witnessed this person brandishing a handgun toward the house, I made the call to 911. I was told by these people that certain officers treated them with cold indifference, and were insulting to them. When I made a call that someone was burglarizing the house next door, the officer who responded was insulting, demeaning, and only showed interest in ridiculing myself, and the people I am writing this for. These people have been terrorized not only by criminals, but by those sworn to "Protect and Serve".
The same people who terrorized my board members also threatened to "burn down the house with everyone in it". If it hadn't been for a little girl wanting a midnight snack, this would have been a case of 6 counts of murder. I have absolutely no reason to doubt what these people have told me, no matter how outlandish the stories may be, because I have seen it for myself. From threats and harrassment, to brandishing weapons, to a destroyed home, to deliberate indifference under color of law and authority.
Being the Pastor of the ministry, and the citizen I am, all I have done is give pertinent information to those I thought would act on it. But there seems to be no action while these people are victimized and terrorized. I am wondering just what does have to happen before there is a competent reaction. These people have had hundreds of animals mutilated and slaughtered over the past few years. And they have had vehicles and property vandalized and stolen. And now they have had their home, business, and nearly their lives destroyed.
I also need to make something perfectly clear to those in authority. There are a very few people that we will discuss these matters with, becaise of the deliberate indifference of those in authority. We will be happy to discuss this matter with Mr Ramsey, Mr Reniff, or Mr Simpson (Arson Task Force). There are a few officers we have had good public relations with, but because of the obvious bias of some, we prefer not to take the chance of having this matter contaminated. After all, it is only the lives of seven people at stake.
I am sending this letter, or e-mail if possible, to those I feel will not only respond, but have the authority to act. I am hoping that this is only a case of lack of communication, and not the deliberate act it seems. If it is only a case of the former, the matter will be resolved, and these people will not be afraid to go home, or go to sleep. All I can do, is pray for my friends, pray for my enemies, and follow the law by giving the information to them that they need to see justice done under the law.
Our ministry will reopen soon, and once again we will be helping with the needs of those in need. We have very little to give, but it will come back in time. There was no insurance, but God will find a way to restore what He had built. We have faith in Him, but from the inaction and bias we have seen, we have none in the "system".I hope that you will help in this matter, and give hope that justice will be served to these people who have been, and still are, terrorized by others.

Thank You
and God Bless
Wes Peden

This is a footnote to the letter above. The fire department has not acted very competently in this matter, and I will be sending a copy of this to the state fire marshalls office. To begin with, the night of the fire, due to the nature of the fire, and the circumstances, the arson task force was activated. And to quell any questions, I want the following information to be taken under consideration. Number one : The area where the fire originated was a work/ministry area. Stored at the obvious point of ignition were baby clothes, which were WET, several cases of canned goods, and leather jackets, which were also wet. So there was nothing in that area which was a fire hazard. Number two : the two kerosene heaters which were stored in the work area could not possibly have contributed in any way to the fire, since they had been completely dry for several days. Number three : the wood stove, which was next to the south end of the work area, had a layer of embers at the bottom, the door was closed, and although hot to the touch, it was not an ignition source. As a matter of fact, that end of the area was just beginning to ignite as I arrived.
I have shown the "investigators" the area where the fire ignited, and obviously they ignored my observations. I know, if nothing else, from the Discovery channel, that the point of ignition tends to burn the hottest. When I arrived, the area that logic dictates to be the point of ignition had already burned the roof and walls, and had 25 foot flames. This is the area where the wet clothes were. It is also, as I pointed out to investigators, where there is a small propane bottle of a type that no one on that property had ever owned. There are indications that this was a well thought out, well planned, and premeditated act. There are years of threats towards these people that arson would be committed. But the "investigators" in this case find everything that is obvious to be "undetermined".
I would like a competent investigation performed, by competent investigators, who do not have a biased and prejudiced attitude. As I outlined previously, these people are being terrorized, and by the willful act of deliberate indifference under color of law and authority, this will be allowed to continue.

2005-09-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

LINKS TO OUR OTHER BLOGS
Blogs and their titles

Before and After
http://beforeandafterbuttecounty.blogspot.com/

Butte County Terrorism
http://fightingbuttecounty.blogspot.com/

The Truth
http://ourdocumentation.blogspot.com/

Cults of Oroville
http://criminalcultsoforoville.blogspot.com/

Butte County Anti-Environment
http://orovilleiscontaminated.blogspot.com/

The Truth About Oroville
http://savingourkids.seo-blog.org/

Butte County Terrorism And The Animal Victims
http://buttecountyanimalcruelty.blogspot.com/

Butte County LAFCO and No Redress
http://buttecountylafcocorporationnoredress.blogspot.com/

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/106345324?ltl=1127506561

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/387659193?ltl=1127508817

2005-09-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

This is one kerosene lantern that was borrowed so we could work outside at night. This lantern ran out of fuel two days before the fire, and was found up by George Mello's shop far away from my work area after the fire. Fire Officials tried to say that this was how the fire started. I was there. This was no where near the start of the fire.

2005-09-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

This is another view from the front of 4925 Lincoln Blvd. of my small business that went up in flames. You are looking at the area where a deck had just been built with small rustic fencing all around it. This was where we ate most of the time, and I had my beading supplies, and product here. We had so many beads donated to us after the death of Wes' relative Mr. Bush, that I had enough to last for three years.

2005-09-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

This is the back bathroom off of the master bedroom at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. property. If you look to the left lower end of the picture, the big rings that are there is what was left of my son's base drum.

2005-09-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my son David's room after the fire. He lost everything. His drum set, his instruments from Peru, his bed, everything. If anyone lost the most from everything, it was my son David, and he has been the most content, and helps us through the many further losses from the terrorism coming from Butte County Officials.

2005-09-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

This is the front yard of the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. property. The rubble that is seen are 46 computers that were donated to our ministry that we were going to give some children for Christmas.

2005-09-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

This is at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. property, and this is what was left of my books. I had many more books in the den, and a tall shelf full of books in the second bathroom off of the master bedroom where my cats were burned alive.

2005-09-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

This was another propane bottle found under the mobile under the den at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. address. We never owned this, and by late afternoon after these pictures were taken, the propane bottle was missing.

2005-09-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

This is the picture taken of the work area at the 4915 Lincoln Blvd. address. The wood stove was in the corner by the stairs on top of a brick platform, and this area was not on fire when the fire trucks arrived. If they had put some water on the fire that had flames thirty feet high at the other end of this work area, this amount of damage would not have taken place.

2005-09-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is the view of the bathroom at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. mobile. A total loss.

2005-09-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is the porch at the 4915 Lincoln Blvd. property. I had shelves, and it had been enclosed all in wood. I had about twenty-five totes of craft supplies ready to go, and finished product ready to sell. All of it burned at the far end. A total loss for me again.

2005-09-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

This is what was left of the den and my office, with two computers, at the 4925 Lincoln blvd. fire. A total loss. The things I miss the most from the den was my medal from college for a 4.0 grade average for a year, my son David's baby book, and my musical instruments which included a keyboard, guitar, dulcimer, and saxaphone that was getting restored. Total loss.

2005-09-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

This was the kitchen floor at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. address after the fire.

2005-09-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

This is what was left of the living room and kitchen at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. Mobile. This was taken from the front of where the house used to be.

2005-09-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here you can clearly see the propane tanks that were under the bedroom floor at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. property where my cats burned alive at. The bathtub fell through the floor, and landed upside down right behind the propane bottles. These bottles vanished by the middle of the day after these pictures were taken.

2005-09-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is one of the propane bottles found that had been hooked up to the barbeque, and was found this way. I had to cook with it all of the time because of the lack of electricity at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. property, and the crowding at the 4905 Lincoln Blvd. property. This tank was alway's shut off. The tank was seperated from the barbacue by about ten feet, and the valve open after the fire.

2005-09-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

This is my small business again at the 4915 Lincoln Blvd. view. This was taken from the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. property, and the mobile standing with the porch is LaRose Mello's mobile that was on fire where the ammonia bottles with rags were found, and posted first.

2005-09-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

This used to be a shop that belonged to George Mello until he passed away. It was located behind the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. address. All of my crafting supplies, paint, and Christmas things burned at a total loss as you can see. One shed that I had some thing in that were important didn't burn. That was God.

2005-09-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

This is at 4915 Lincoln Blvd., and where my small business burned up at a total loss, and the fire started just beyond the band saw across the cement where the tool box is. This area had wet baby clothes, and food, and was raining, and leaked through a hole in the roof of the carport/shop.

2005-09-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Broad View of Mobile that exploded and burned at 4925 Lincoln Blvd.

2005-09-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ammonia Bottles Stuffed With Rags

2005-09-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

This is the statement of Pamela Mulaskey who used to live at 4905 Lincoln Blvd. Oroville, Ca. 95966 until the night of the fire. I lived with LaRose Mello, and my two children at the time of the arson fire.

When the fire broke out, I was sound asleep in Grandma’s house. I had moved out of Zette (Susan Marie Mello,(maiden name)Overstreet,Etter, and Donald Eugene Etter's home at 4925 Lincoln Blvd. about a month before to live with Grandma. Susan and Don did not pay the bills with the money that they were taking from LaRose Mello, and myself, Pamela Mulaskey. There was no power in the large mobile again, and I didn't want to sleep outside because of the stalking, animal mutilation's, and two Rotweiller dogs that had been coming in the yard to hurt my family. Wesley Peden and I had five attacks that took place after information was learned by Susan Overstreet/Mello, and Donald Etter that Wesley Peden, my boyfriend at the time, and now my fiance' was attacked by dogs when he was a child, and was in the hospital, and almost died from the attacks. Two dogs had been killed that protected us from the attacks, and I had no choice, but to move into LaRose Mello's home. The stalking, animal mutilations, gun fire, stealing, and such had been taking place for about four years with no help from any agency in Butte County. There is a reason for that as well, but that information will be posted in a section of this blog at a later date.

On Friday the 13th, of December 2002, at about 11:30 p.m., Kristy (my daughter) came into my room screaming
“Fire!”
I said “what?”
She screamed “Fire!”.
I said “what?”
She screamed “Fire!” again, and
I said “Where?” I followed Kristy to the kitchen window, and I looked out, and saw flames that were twenty-five to thirty-five feet high. I knew right then, that there was no saving it.

The fire was in the work area at the end near grandma’s (LaRose) by the bricks, at 4905 Lincoln Blvd. (All three properties, 4905, LaRoses mobile, 4915, (my small business location), and 4925, The large double wide mobile, all next to each other on Lincoln Blvd. were owned by LaRose Mello.)All three of the properties were involved in this fire, but only the fire at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. was listed in all of the fire reports.

It was so close to grandma’s that I didn’t know if there was even time to get out. The only reason that we did not die in the fire was because my daughter had a migrane headache during the late evening, and had slept through dinner. She became hungry, and got up for a near midnight snack. Regardless of anything that has taken place since this arson fire, my daughter Kristy Lopez saved our lives that night.

Kristy ran outside with some animal cages while I woke Grandma up. I ran to her bed, and shook her awake because she didn't have her hearing aides in, and Susan Overstreet/Mello refused to let her have them to hear.

When she looked at me, I screamed “Fire!”, she lay back down. I shook her awake again, and she looked at me again. I screamed, “Grandma, Fire!”

Grandma said, “What?”

I screamed, “Fire! There is a Fire! You have to get out!”

I helped her sit up in the bed, so that she could be carried out when I ran for help to have someone lift her because I couldn’t. She was ready and waiting, and I saw the animals in the cages in the living room.

I grabbed the cockatiels, and the Chinchilla on my way out because I didn’t know if I could get back in the door once I ran out. I ordered David to grab animals, and Kristy came running back in, and I ordered her to grab animals.

I went out the door with the cages, and set them safely away from the fire. I ran back to go into Grandma’s, and I saw Susan Overstreet/Mello sitting on the ground rocking in nothing but a shirt in the dirt and the rain.

Zuess our dog was almost on fire, and our neighbor's behind us were squirting water on him to keep him from starting on fire before we could get him to saftey. Donald Etter had locked him up with a chain and paddle lock because of the animals mutilations, and people letting our dogs off of the normal leads. I couldn’t do anything about Zuess because I had to get grandma out.

I screamed at Zette, (Susan Overstreet/Mello's nick name)
“Where is Don?”
“She screamed at me, “Get Grandma, forget the animals!”

She didn’t realize that I was going in for Grandma. When I got in the house, Grandma had already been taken out. This was when I realized that there were two ammonia bottles with rags were on fire, and the only entrance was through the front door. I couldn't go through the back door as Donald Etter had blocked it with a washing machine three days before the fire. See the photo that will be posted of the ammonia bottles with rags.

I learned after the fire that ammonia that is burned, lets off a deadly gas called, ammonia cloride gas. I had breathed this substance in, and I have been sick since the fire with many problems, and no real medical help. I even had medical documents and reports falsified, which I will post in another section of this blog, of the steps to cover the arson fire, and other events that have taken place by Butte County Officials in all of the Agencies. Question to think about. Why did Susan Overstreet/Etter send me into the fire when she knew her mother LaRose had been already rescued safely?

Grandma, (LaRose) ultimately died as a result of the fire. That information will also be posted later in this blog.

I gathered more cages, and I put them in the truck where the animals were going.

I saw grandma (LaRose) sitting in the car with the door open in a flimsy nightgown getting wet. I asked if she was okay, and

she said "yes."

I ran to try to get Bubba my cat out, and Lovie, another cat, and the Iguana. My daughter's dog Skipper who just had surgery was also stuck in the mobile at 4905 Lincoln Blvd.

It was too late. I couldn’t get through the front door any more.

I tried to get Zuess our Shephard loose again, and I couldn’t. He was located between the 4915 Lincoln Blvd. location where the fire started, and Grandma's at the 4905 Lincoln Blvd. address.

I started screaming for help, and Zette (Susan Overstreet/Etter) who sat behind me rocking, screamed at me that Don would do it.

I said okay. I saw my son David trying to help too.

I had to save Bubba, my cat that was in the back bedroom where I slept, and he was still trapped, so I ran to my bedroom window, and found something to smash the window with, so Bubba could at least escape if the fire came closer.

Then, I wanted to get into the back door to get Igi (my son's iguana)and Lovie, (A white persian cat in LaRose's bedroom) rescued, and find a way to get my daughter's dog skipper out. Skipper still could not walk well because of the rod that had been removed because of his leg being broke in half by a car recently. The S.P.C.A. had done a donation from the save a life fund for his vetrinary bills.

I climbed up the stairs, and found it blocked by a washing machine. I could barely get around it. The back door was barred, so no one could open it up from the outside because of the stalking, animal mutilations, etc. that had taken place for so many years.

The fire trucks were still not there, and I saw a man named Glen walking down the alley. I screamed at him about five times to call 911. I didn’t think that anyone had called the fire department because it had been going on for so long, and still no fire trucks. Glen ignored me. That was unusual to me because he was usually friendly. Later, it was found out about this man named Glen with a street nick name of "Rabbit", and his involvement concerning the fire, and robberies that took place after the fire with nothing being done by Law Enforcement. Why should I have thought this would be any different?

This made me angry, and I tried to open the window on the door. It wouldn’t open. I couldn’t climb through the kitchen window at all, so I ran around front again.

I checked on Zette (Susan Overstreet/Etter, who was now rocking in the street crying with it raining. Both Zette and Grandma (LaRose)had no blanket, and I was upset.

I yelled at Kristy to go get Wesley Peden at his house a couple of blocks away to help. Kristy took off running as fast as she could to go get him. The Fire Trucks were still not there, and the fire had been burning out of control with the flames at twenty-five to thirty feet high for twenty minutes or more.

Nine people had called 911 to report that their neighbor's house was on fire. The El Medio Fire Department on Myers Street in Oroville was only about a half a mile away. The fire had not quite reached the wood stove at 4905 Lincoln Blvd. when the Fire trucks were finally coming. The fire started in an area of my small business that had wet baby clothes to give away because a leak in the roof, and canned food to give away to the hungry and poor people of Oroville. It was still raining, and the flames were still almost thirty feet high.

Wes arrived, and had sent my daughter Kristy to the pay telephone to call 911. There was no telephone service because of Susan Overstreet/Etter, and Donald Etter stealing the money from LaRose and myself, and intensionally not paying the basic bills. This was all reported properly, and was expensive too.

Wes yelled at me to start getting the animals out. I started to cry more, and he went to go into the trailer to get Bubba through my window, and he was angry that he couldn’t get in the house now because the glass was broken. Now I felt incompetent, and I yelled at him that I broke it myself because I couldn’t get to the window to climb in.

David, my son, came running around, and got Wes, telling him that he had to help with the dogs in the kennel. They ran off.

By this time, Zette and Don’s bedroom was on fire, at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. address, and the kittens and sick cats were going to be burned up that they left in the bedroom. There was a lot of time on their part to have recused them, but they did nothing. I couldn’t figure out why Zette and Don didn’t even attempt to save the kittens and sick cats on their way out. They didn’t even have anyone go open the door of their bedroom for them long before the fire ever reached their place.

Zette (Susan Overstreet/Etter), told me that she saw Abby my favorite cat crying in the window with fear, and that is the last she saw of her. I broke.

The fire department was still not putting water on the fire, and the fire had been burning for a good fifteen to twenty minutes before they arrived, and now a good fifteen minutes more had gone my, and they just stood there while it burned. A fireman had even taken a garden house out of Wesley Peden's hands to prevent the mobile from burning, and then they still stood, and did nothing. By now, there were Fire Trucks there with their lights flashing, and they stood there without a drop of water being put on the fire.

A neighbor was so angry about the situation that he took a picture of all the fire trucks just sitting in the road with their lights flashing, which numbered eight or more, without any hoses going to our fire. There was a fire hydrant in front of the house that was operational as well. But, as usual when it comes to my family, the Officials did nothing.

The same neighbor ran to our house with a fire extinguisher about the time that the fireman made Wesley Peden take the hose out of his hands, and he was yelling at the Firemen to put water on the fire while he used up his extinguisher to put some of the fire out.

An ambulance came, and I begged the paramedics to give Grandma and Zette a blanket at least because they were soaking wet, and I knew they would get sick.

I cried, "can you please get grandma and Zette a blanket! They are over there!"

They didn’t do it.

My cats were now burning alive after the mobile at the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. address exploded because of two open propane tanks being placed under the back bedroom of the mobile, and the ambulance drivers wouldn’t even help the people I loved with a blanket. I broke down crying, and unable to speak except to say,

"My cats are getting burned alive, and my cats are dead."

Finally, I saw my neighbor give Zette a blanket. Don did no attempts at rescuing except for Zuess that I saw. He just stood with Zette. Grandma finally had a blanket.

I grabbed a funky coat from the free clothes rack that we had out for our ministry. I had a blanket or coat over my head, and all I could do was say over and over to everyone that I saw “My cats are dying, they are burning alive.” I wandered all over the street, saying those words to anyone who asked me what was going on.

I saw Dina, Wes’ sister coming down the road. I walked up to meet her, and all I could say was “My cats are dying, they are burning alive.” I walked around some more, feeling hopeless, knowing that my cats were burning up.

Suddenly Wes ran by, and told me that he and David got all of the dogs safe. He told me that nothing could be done about the cats in Zette and Don’s bedroom.

The ambulance took Grandma to the hospital, so I didn’t have to worry about her any longer. Grandma LaRose was in the hospital from the smoke inhalation and developed pnumonia, until the 29th, of December 2002. LaRose never really recovered from this, and lost her ability to walk, breathe, and was hospitalized many times because of pnumonia and congestive heart failure that she died on March 17, of 2004. LaRose was put into our care on her request, and Social Workers, and Nurses approval and red tape. LaRose became my grandma, and I will bring this forward to have justice for a woman that had no justice when all three of her properties were destroyed, and all agencies in Butte County turned their heads while she suffered and died hoping for justice for all the abuses done to her by her daughter Susan Marie Mello (Overstreet Etter), for so many years.

Susan Overstreet/Etter was also hospitalized from the smoke inhalation problems, and even had blood clots from falling against the banister.

Now, can you imagine that these two individual's were not involved in the rescuing of pets, or anything else, and they were hospitalized. Wesley Peden, my two children David and Kristy Lopez, and I, Pamela Mulaskey, were not even looked at medically, and when we did finally get medical attention, did not get treated for the many symptoms, and sickness we have had since the fire in 2002. My children are better, but Wes and I still are sick from it, and now it is 2005, and nearing the end of the year.

The fire trucks were still just in the road, and not putting water on the fire! I couldn’t believe it.

Wes yelled at me to do something instead of just standing there doing nothing, and help him rescue Bubba, Lovie, and the Iguana. I broke more. I snapped out of it when my children David and Kristy ran by, and they were going to help. We ran together through the mud and rain up the back stairs again. I had several neighbors with us too, but I can’t remember who they were. Wes came running up, and we all stood there for a moment trying to figure out what we were going to do.

Wes decided to try to open the kitchen window. He was taller than the rest of us. He got the window open, and we gave him a boost up into the kitchen through the window. He flung the computer, and everything else that was on the kitchen table onto the floor. Smoke was billowing out the window. Wes got inside, and told me he was going to get Bubba. I could no longer see his face six inches into the room. I thought Wes was going to die for sure.

Wes closed the front door where the fire and smoke was coming through because the front porch was fully engulfed if fire. Then, he went to the other kitchen window where he saw a fireman standing each time the light from the fire trucks hit him. Wes opened the window, and said,

"Hey!"

The fireman standing about for the last half hour doing nothing stared at him. Wes, opened the window in the kitchen facing the 4925 Lincoln Blvd. property where the mobile was burning to the ground, and said,

"If you do not put water on this fire right now, you will be pulling out a dead body." Wes shut the window.

This is when the fire hoses were hooked up, and in less than five minutes the fire that was on LaRoses porch burning out of control was put out.

Wes came running back to the window after this and said that "Bubba was not in the house."

He had Igi, and he handed him to me through the window. I had never been so happy to see our five foot lizard in my life. I ran with him, and either handed him to someone, or put him in the front of the truck.

I ran back to Grandma’s back porch, and Wes had Lovie. I couldn’t believe that he rescued her because she was in Grandma’s bedroom, and I thought for sure it was mostly burned up by now. I don’t even know how he found her with all of the smoke in the house.

Wes was able to open the back door enough to get Kristy's dog Skipper out, and a bunch of us moved the washing machine away from the door enough that he could go out, and he was led to the truck with the rest of the animals.

Wes climbed back out the kitchen window, and we went to the truck to check which animals made it, and which ones didn’t.

On my way to walking in the front to see Zette (Susan Overstreet/Etter,) Glenn (Rabbit)gave me a big hug, and was kind. I was suspicious of everyone at the moment because I knew that the fire had to have been set because of where the fire started. I thought that he was putting on an act of genuine affection after the way I was treated when he was in the alley. I knew that he had heard me, when I yelled to call 911, and I was ignored.

I checked Zette, and she was still rocking and crying. Suddenly the Red Cross was there. I started to answer questions for the man from the Red Cross while Zette was taken down to Elizabeths house.

Ken Doty, who was the next door neighbor to Wes, had cups of coffee for us, and that made me cry because of his kindness.

I walked down to Elizabeth Jensen's house to speak with the Red Cross. They asked about clothes etc. I told them that I was the only one to still have clothes because my room at Grandma’s didn’t burn at all. My shoes did burn up in the other house though, and I didn’t have another pair, so I accepted a voucher for shoes.

We were given vouchers for a motel stay, and Zette was really sick.We had to force her to go to the hospital by calling an ambulance. Susan Overstreet/Etter stayed in the hospital for about five days.

My daughter Kristy was at Elizabeth Jensen's house, and Kristy had Butter Bean, one of our cats. She was getting the burned plastic off of his face. She trimmed the burned fur, and did her best to save our cat Butter Bean, who came running out of the flames on fire with the plastic bag melted over his face. Even though the vet took Butter Bean in during the next two days for free, Butter Bean died from the infection that set in, and pneumonia.

After Susan Overstreet/Etter was taken to the hospital, the kids, Wes, and I went to Ken Doty’s house on Helman Street next to Wes’ house. Ken got us pillows, blankets, coffee, dry clothes, and we were grateful.

I started smoking cigarettes that night in Ken’s house after having quit for three years. We had to figure out what to do with the animals. Wes, the kids, and I left to go figure it out.

We put all of the dogs into Irwin Bushes empty house after he was killed in an automobile accident, and we decided to put them all in a room out on the porch. Irwin had the empty house across the street on Lincoln Blvd. where we had the fire, so we didn't have far to go with them. We put all of the cats that we had in the laundry room.

Blue, our Russian Blue cat had been badly burned also. We found him dead when we went to check on him the next day.

The birds, rats, and iguana all stayed at Irwin’s for now as well in cages, and the dogs were in his fenced yard for the time being. We gathered up blankets and pillows, and other things that we needed , and brought them to Wes’ house.

Mathew Virden, the other next door neighbor to Wes, brought us some blankets also. We finally made it the motel room at about six a.m.

Coming......... The Fire Pictures with captions.
Coming......... The Investigation