A fire claimed the life of a homeless man who was living in a wooded area near the Meadowbrook State Parkway in Freeport on Monday morning, New York State police said.
Miguel Angel Sanchez, an El Salvadoran immigrant who was about 65 years old, was burned to death in the fire that had fully engulfed a temporary shelter about 75 yards into the woods and 1/4 mile north of Babylon Turnpike. His roommate, Adan Lopez, 44, also from El Salvador, reported the fire, which Roosevelt Fire Department volunteer firefighters extinguished at around 11 a.m.
Both men, who have known one another for 6 to 8 years, fell asleep after having their evening meal and drinking some alcoholic beverages, Lopez reportedly told investigators. He walked to the Village of Freeport Police Department with another homeless man to report the fire.