PETERSBURG, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fire that killed 12-year-old Malaki Christian Giles.
They say an unattached garage became engulfed in flames around 1:30 a.m. on Monday.
The boy's father and 13-year-old brother were injured while trying to rescue the child who was trapped, according to the sheriff's office. Firefighters discovered the boy's body in the garage bathroom.
Scott Salow, superintendent of Summerfield Schools, published a letter for families in the district to inform them of the tragedy.
“(The district is) overwhelmed with the number of people reaching out with what they can do and certainly right now prayer is our number one request," the superintendent told 7 Action News.
Salow said Malaki completed the fifth grade about a week ago.
“Malaki’s a huge loss for us. (He was) a great great kid, creative, artistic, a friend to all, loved school, loved his community, loved the orange and black. The hallways and the classroom won’t be the same without him," he described.
The sheriff's office said Malaki's father and brother were taken to a hospital in the Toledo area for burns, treated and released.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information to call at 734-240-7530.
