Oakland Tribune

Teen's death apartment had no recent inspection
November 27, 1999

FROM STAFF REPORTS

BERKELEY — The heating system inside a Berkeley apartment where a teen-ager apparently was the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning had not been inspected by utility officials for at least a year, records show.

The dozens of people forced from their homes because of faulty heaters discovered in their apartments at 2020 Bancroft Ave. still were awaiting word about when they could return home.

City building inspectors will be on the scene Monday morning to inspect the entire 105-unit building for any other possible safety violations, said Lt. Bob Maloney of the Berkeley Police Department.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokesman Maureen Bogues said the apartment owners had not asked for an inspection of the heating system for at least a year.

It is incumbent on the property owner to request inspections of heating systems, Bogues said. PG&E will inspect a system only if a request is made by the property owners.

Records of any earlier inspections, or if there ever were any ever at the 105-unit apartment complex, were unavailable Friday.

Seetha Vemireddy, 17, who lived in the second-floor apartment with her sister, died sometime Wednesday. Her 15-year-old sister also was taken to Alta Bates Medical Center for treatment.

She has been released and was said by relatives to be resting comfortably at home with her parents.

While an investigation continues, authorities said it appears that the vent that would have let the carbon monoxide escape from the apartment somehow had become blocked.

The girl's parents, who live a few blocks from the apartment complex, were making funeral arrangements on Friday and were unavailable for comment.

The building's owners were trying to reach contractors Friday to fix the failing heating system that forced 26 tenants from their homes.

But — because of the holiday — that search so far has been unsuccessful.

Berkeley police are refusing to allow re-entry into any of the 27 apartments closed by police following the girl's death.

Meanwhile, the Alameda County Coroner's Office still was trying Friday to determine the cause of the girl's death.

Police believe it was carbon monoxide poisoning.

An autopsy has been completed on the girl, but the coroner's office is waiting for the results of toxicology and microbial tests performed on the teen-ager before pronouncing a cause of death.