The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Feb. 2—An 11-year-old girl who had spent months recovering from a spinal condition. A longtime pilot. A 37-year-old father from Mount Airy.
The exact human toll of the plane crash and explosion in Northeast Philadelphia on Friday night could take weeks to fully piece together, Philadelphia officials said — the fire and destruction was so immense that cars were burnt to a crisp, and evidence was still being recovered Sunday from multiple blocks away.
But a picture began to emerge on Sunday of the lives of the seven people who were killed, according to statements and social media posts from friends, family, and the company that owns the Learjet 55 that rapidly descended and crashed.
All six people onboard the medical jet, which was headed for Mexico, died, law enforcement said, as did a seventh man who was on the ground.
Twenty-two people were injured, including five who remained hospitalized Sunday evening, three in critical condition, officials said. Two of those still hospitalized appear to be children.
The death toll could go up — investigators were collecting tissue samples recovered at the scene and may have to rely on DNA testing to determine whether anyone else was killed, according to two city officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Police were tracking missing persons reports and were "methodically going through" their information, but couldn't yet say whether any are linked to the incident, said Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.
"It is possible there are still people who were affected by this event, affected by that crash, that we don't know about," said Managing Director Adam Thiel.
Here's what we know:
An 11-year-old and her mother
Valentina Guzmán Murillo, 11, had just completed four months of treatment at Shriners Children's Philadelphia, and was returning home to Ensenada, a coastal city in Mexico south of Tijuana. She was accompanied by her mother, 31-year-old Lizeth Murillo Osuna, on the Learjet 55, owned by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.
Valentina had a spinal condition that caused her medical issues, a family friend told the New York Times. A spokesperson for Shriners said her condition was not easily treated in Mexico.
The hospital celebrated Valentina with a special send-off just hours before the plane crashed, killing both her and her mother.
Four crew members
The jet's four crew members also died. All were men in their 40s who had worked with Jet Rescue for multiple years.
Alan Montoya Perales, 46, had been flying with Jet Rescue since 2016, and was the captain of the flight that crashed Friday, company spokesman Shai Gold said. His copilot was Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43, who joined the company in December 2023, Gold said.
Raul Meza Arredonda, 41, was the doctor aboard the flight, and he has worked with the company since 2020. Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41, was the paramedic on board — an employee since 2023.
A father from Mount Airy, killed on the ground
Family and friends on social media identified the seventh victim as a 37-year-old father from Mount Airy. The Inquirer is not naming him because police have not publicly identified him, and his relatives asked that his name not be shared so as to maintain their privacy. His loved ones, overwhelmed with grief, declined to speak Sunday.
The man was driving on Cottman Avenue with his son when the plane crashed and exploded, relatives said online.
His 9-year-old son was also injured and remained hospitalized, family said on Facebook.
A 10-year-old fighting for his life
Andre "Trey" Howard, a 10-year-old boy who was struck in the head by debris, also remains in critical condition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the boy's parents said in social media posts and an interview with 6abc. The Inquirer could not independently reach them on Sunday.
Trey was in the car with his father and siblings, pulling out of the Dunkin' drive-through after picking up some doughnuts, when the plane exploded, sending debris flying in all directions, including through the windows of the family's car, his father and namesake, Andre Howard, told reporters.
The boy covered his 4-year-old sister as the windows shattered, Howard said, but a piece of metal from the plane pierced his head. He suffered a serious injury, and has undergone multiple surgeries, including for bleeding in the brain, his mother said in a post on Facebook.
Staff writers Anna Orso and Michelle Myers contributed to this article.
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