Fire Damages Homestead Cell Phone Store
HOMESTEAD (CBSMiami) -- A South Florida cell phone store is nothing but a charred mess after an early morning fire ripped through the business along SW 288 Street near 134 Avenue Friday.
The Boost Mobile in Southwest Miami-Dade was destroyed just before 6 a.m., investigators said.
The owner and his family rushed to the scene.
"My wife came crying when we found out," Andy Oreallana said.
Orellana said he was devastated to his business in ruins.
"Especially that this was the first store we opened four years ago. That's when we started to open more locations," Orellana said. "We're hurt because it was the first one, like the baby."
Investigators were busy sifting through debris Friday, looking for clues as to what may have sparked the fire.
Orellana said they found something he thinks might point to foul play.
"That's what I think. There's a brick inside and we had no bricks," Orellana said.
While much of the merchandise is destroyed, Orellana believes phones are missing, too.
The fire did not spread to the barbershop next door, but there's plenty of smoke and water damage.
"We got flooded. Flooding and the power turned off," Jomar Rosa said.
Rosa said the shop will lose much-needed business during the clean-up.
"At least three or four days," Rosa said. "That's what they're saying right now. So yeah, I'm hurting right now."
The owner of the Boost Mobile store said he plans to rebuild eventually.
"We're going to have to. There's nothing there," Orellana explained.
No one was hurt in the fire.
The cause remains under investigation.
