EXCLUSIVE: Family of deadly West Jordan house fire victims speaks out

WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC4) — For the first time since a massive fire took the lives of four people in a West Jordan home, members of the victims’ family are speaking out.

“I don’t have words to describe her,” Anaís Bravo, a sister of one of the victims told ABC4 Monday.

On Friday, July 18, just after 10 a.m., emergency crews responded to a home near 8200 South and 6400 West that was engulfed in flames. Amid the blaze, officials determined three people died in the home and one was airlifted to the hospital but would later pass away.

Upon further investigation, West Jordan Police Department determined the incident to be an intentional act of arson. Crews found a fire accelerant during the course of the investigation.

Anaís confirmed her sister, Jaimar Bravo Gil, 33, and her two kids were killed in Friday’s fiery attack. The family identified Jaimar’s two kids as a boy, Juliano, 9, and a girl, Yorgina, 14.

The family also identified Jaimar’s husband, and the father of the deceased children, as Yordano Valencias Pina. Jaimar’s surviving family says he had shown signs of violent behavior against the family for years.

“Friends and family, we know about the nature of the relationship that existed between the two of them,” Julio, Jaimar’s oldest brother said. “They’d had problems for many years.”

“It wasn’t just this weekend… it was many years of mistreatment,” Anaís told ABC4.

Fear of reporting the abuse

Anaís says her sister was never happy with Jaimar but stayed with him for the sake of her kids and for fear of being deported, as the family was undocumented.

“More than [fear of] deportation, her fear was to confront something with her kids… it was more about the well-being of the kids,” Anaís said.

Anaís believes it would have been less safe for her sister, niece, and nephew had they been living back in Venezuela, citing the overall lack-of-trust in police officials in their home country.

Remembering their loved ones

“We want her to be remembered how she always was… very kind, very charismatic, very good friend, mother, and sister. We’ll always remember her for her big heart,” Julio said Monday.

Julio added that the most important thing for their family now is to be able to send Jaimar, Yorgina, and Juliano’s bodies back to Venezuela to be laid to rest with Jaimar’s mother.

“I feel powerless. I feel powerless today. I feel destroyed. I feel many people could have done more,” Anaís said with tears in her eyes.