ORLANDO, Fla. — The family of an 11-year-old boy who died on April 3 after a fire broke out in their home is now suing the owner of the apartment complex in Altamonte Springs.

According to the lawsuit, they claim the apartment complex, Goldelm at Charter Pointe, failed to inspect smoke alarms regularly to ensure they were functional.

Attorneys at Osborne and Francis Law Firm in Orlando, which is representing the family in this case, say Ramon Thomas and four of his siblings were asleep when his older sibling noticed flames inside the unit. 

“The 17-year-old quickly gathered the siblings, and they left the apartment,” the law firm said in a statement. “In the chaotic scene, they thought Ramon was following them, but he was asleep in another bedroom. At that point, flames had engulfed the apartment building, making it impossible for law enforcement to get back in and rescue the boy.” 

Thomas’ mother, Ramona Andrews, said she continues to struggle with the death of her son. 

“It was my middle daughter, her screaming, that her mom is gone just around that time every night at 1:08 a.m. — that replays in my head, going to work, coming from work, knowing he’s not there,” Andrews said. “This a lot. School just started. He’s not there. It’s a lot.”

Gregorio Francis, one of the attorneys representing Thomas’ family, said management at the apartment complex should have done more to prevent fires like the one that killed the 11-year-old.

“It’s important, because this is, you know, it’s a big apartment complex,” Francis said. “And then, you know, the owners may have different complexes or whatnot. So it’s important for public safety that these standards and code requirement are followed, and we intend to hold them responsible.”

According to the State Fire Marshall’s Office, the cause of the fire has not been determined.

Spectrum News reached out to the owners of the complex about these allegations and they have not responded back.