MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Despite the odd circumstances around a 15-year-old boy’s death Wednesday, the circumstances have nothing to do with what happened, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
The West Park neighborhood where he lived is also trying to make sense of his death.
Family members identified the teen as Lorvens Julien.
“The doctors there were also concerned that there was a strange odor coming from the victim possibly of gas,” said Broward County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Veda-Coleman-Wright, who was at the scene.
A strange smell and two first responders being hospitalized promoted a hazmat response Wednesday morning.
While Broward County Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were at the boy’s home along SW 24 Street in West Park, a deputy had trouble breathing and a firefighter reportedly had second degree burns after possibly being exposed to an unknown chemical inside.
Both were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital.
It was later determined that the deputy’s trouble breathing, and the firefighter’s burn were not related to anything at the home and nothing hazardous was found inside.
“I’ve had my window open and you couldn’t smell anything in the house,” said Andrina Adams.
Adams lives next to boy who died and is a friend of the family.
Relatives are pleading that they know nothing about what happened, and on Wednesday Julien’s uncle, who lives in the same home, spoke to CBS4 News hours after his death.
“Is there anything inside the house he may have been exposed to,” asked CBS4’s Austin Carter.
“No, no, nothing, nothing,” responded Jacques Monfiston.
BSO said that the teen went to the hospital just one day before he died, and investigators are trying to figure out if that has anything to do with his death.
It’s an agonizing wait for answers for the family and the community.
“I have a young son of my own he’s only 11-years-old,” said Adams. “To have her come here I was shooken for her, I was hurt for her I was crying for her, I was distraught for her.”
The Broward County Medical Examiner’s office will make the official determination of death.
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