Community Held Vigil For CO Poisoning Victims

BALTIMORE (WJZ)--The deaths of two women from carbon monoxide poisoning brought an East Baltimore community together Saturday night to remember.

 Suzanne Collins has more on the solemn gathering.

 The message the family of the victims want out is: make sure to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home to prevent a tragedy like this. A woman who sang at the vigil broke down. More than 100 people gathered to remember the carbon monoxide victims.

The daughter of one, Mikeia Lucas, was in Georgia with her dad for Christmas, or she too might have breathed the poison gas. 

"I know my mother is now in a better place and that she's looking down on me smiling," said Mikeia's daughter MyKerra Lucas. "I'll take every step at a time. I'm going to take care of my brother and make sure he's OK. Make her proud."

The son of victim Vonita Gibbs wore a shirt with photos of both women.

"That's all I got to remember them by is pictures, so I had to get a shirt. That's the only thing I have," said Devearl Singletary, victim's son.

On Tuesday, the fire department raced to Guilford Avenue, finding the two victims dead from the lethal fumes. Three others were unconscious.

The levels of carbon monoxide were in the 500 parts per million range—35 parts per million requires a mask and breathing equipment.

Investigators found there was no carbon monoxide detector, despite a new city law that went into effect last March requiring them.

The father of Vonita, who was taken from the home unconscious,  remembered the horrifying experience.

"I felt so totally helpless," said Michael Lucas. "Ain't nothing I could do to help them. Couldn't get up. When I did try to get up, I fell right back down to the ground."

At the end of the vigil, balloons were released to the sky.

A funeral will be held at St. Ann's Catholic Church at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Inspectors say the source of the carbon monoxide was a stove that was being used for heat.