Dead worker at East Point recycling plant identified
The worker who was found dead amidst a fire late Thursday at an East Point recycling plant has been identified as a city resident.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Eric Hilario-Martinez, 19.
Firefighters found him after they were called to the scene around 11:15 p.m. because a front-end loader was ablaze, said safety officer Renita Shelton of the East Point Fire Department.
They arrived to find the front end loader fully engulfed in flames with the fire spreading about 20 feet around the vehicle. Firefighters rescued a dozen people. After extinguishing the blaze, they found Hilario-Martinez's body, Shelton said.
The incident occurred at Newell Recycling in the 1300 block of Central Avenue.
The Medical Examiner had not determined the cause of death as of Friday afternoon. If it is determined to have been caused by fire, it would be the first death by fire in East Point in nearly three years, according to the East Point Fire Department.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
