Teachers and business owner who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at Mexico City Airbnb brought light to those around them, families say
This story was updated July 2, 2019, 6:10 p.m.
As a teacher, a bus driver and a restaurant owner, Jose Ramon Rodriguez worked to elevate the lives of others.
But his tragic death was the result of a combination of extreme heat, carbon monoxide poisoning and neglect.
Rodriguez, who only spoke Spanish at home, died Friday after spending hours in his apartment unresponsive, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and heat exhaustion.
And his death has shone a spotlight on that overlooked scourge in Mexico — carbon monoxide poisoning.
“He made sure that everyone around him lived. He made sure that families were happy. He lived his life to the fullest,” his father said in a telephone interview.
A bus driver with the Mexico City Public Transit Department, Rodriguez was also a bus driver for a Mexican restaurant.
He left behind a two-year-old girl, a 19-month-old, and a 15-month-old child.
“We want to help him because he was a very giving person,” said his daughter, Yulianna Rodriguez. “He always wanted to help people. He always took care of everyone. Everyone loved him.”
Rodriguez also left behind a mother and two brothers who survived him, despite being at the bottom of the food chain in their country, Rodriguez said.
“My parents had to struggle to survive from my brother’s death,” he added. “It was not fair, but it was his time to die.”
A Mexican restaurant owner, Jose R. Rodriguez, died Thursday after inhaling a carbon monoxide cloud from an open window, as well as excessive heat and neglect at home.
His death at the hands of an illegal home-sharing business is an example of how much is overlooked when it comes to the health of those working in Mexico’s hospitality industry.
“I don’t think the business should open until people are safe,” said Rodriguez’s wife, Yulianna.
Rodriguez was not on an official list of those who died recently in “home poisoning” cases, said Fernando Coronado, a journalist who tracks