A Fire Destroyed His Mechanic Shop In Long Beach. He's Now Asking For The Public's Help To Rebuild

LONG BEACH, CA — As Angel Perez Jr. saw his father's Long Beach mechanic shop being ravaged by flames early Saturday morning, a deep sadness sank in.

He thought about how his father, who immigrated from Puebla, Mexico, in search of a better life and opportunity, had worked his whole life to invest in a long-term business that maybe one day he could pass on to his son.

But Angel Perez Jr. simply told his son and wife that they would overcome this.

"He kept saying that when we first came here, we didn't have anything, and we managed to build up," Perez Jr. told Patch that he recalled his dad saying. "That it was going to be fine."

Fire officials say the blaze at Angel's Truck Repair, located at 1321 Seabright Avenue, erupted around 1:18 a.m. Fire crews at the scene were met with heavy smoke and fire showing through the roof, according to authorities.

It took roughly one hour to put out the flames, and a firefighter was injured in the process, according to the Long Beach Fire Department. Eight customers' cars were destroyed in the blaze, Perez Jr. said. The building has since been red-tagged, Perez Jr. said.

"Once the flames died out, you just saw destruction," Perez Jr. said.

It's unclear what sparked the fire, but the Perez family is looking to rebuild. They've started a GoFundMe to help replace everything that was destroyed, including inventory, help customers whose vehicles were ravaged by the flames and pay out what the insurance may not cover.

"Every donation, no matter how small, will make a real difference in helping us rebuild," the Perez family said in the fundraiser. "From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with us during this incredibly difficult time. Your generosity gives us hope and reminds us that we’re not alone."

Angel Perez Sr. started his own mechanic business a decade ago, after years of working in the industry, according to his son.

In 2015, he rented out a yard where Angel's Truck Repairs first started. About four years ago, Perez Sr. decided to invest in a more long-term plan, buying the property at Seabright Avenue four years ago, according to his son.

Everything seemed to be going well for Perez Sr. since then, according to his son. That is, until the fire.

The 46-year-old father and mechanic was called to his burning repair shop early that morning. Used to being in the driver's seat in life, Perez Jr. said all his father could do was stand there and watch, comforting his family.

Still, that hasn't deterred Perez Sr. from moving forward. While the building at Seabright Avenue won't open any time soon, Perez Jr. hopes to see his father working in what he loves soon. Even if that means working out of another location.

"He’s staying very positive," Perez Jr. said. "That’s the type of guy that he’s always been. He always likes to keep his head high."

The GoFundMe started by the Perez family has so far raised $6,625 out of its $12,000 goal. To help support their rebuild, click here.