Seventeen-year-old Jesus Meneses died Monday after he jumped the fence at a Florida Power and Light substation in Miami and was electrocuted.
The incident happened near the intersection of Northwest 47th Avenue and 4th Street. Meneses jumped the fence going after a ball and landed in an electrical grid. Friends who witnessed the accident said Meneses was on fire after he scaled the fence.
Rescue workers had to wait for FPL to shut the power down in the area before they could tend to Meneses. Friends told NBC 6 that Meneses was already dead by the time rescue was able to get to him.
“I saw him just laying down on the floor, dead, like he looked dead. His head was smoking” said Andy Gonzalez.
Jesus’ family was still in shock when they spoke to NBC 6’s Jamie Guirola Monday night.
“I spoke to him five minutes before this happened and I asked if he had eaten and he said yes,” Jesus’ mother Mercedes Meneses said. “A little while later I got a phone call. There’s so many things. I still think it’s a lie because I haven’t really reacted to his passing.”
Hundreds of friends surrounded the park where the electrocution took place. Friends said Meneses had been coming to the park since he was one-year-old. A petition was also started in Jesus’ honor to call for more safeguards.
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“I understand we should leave it there because it says no trespassing for a reason, but make higher fences so balls don’t go over in the first place,” said friend Josue Hernandez.
Miami-Dade County Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted Monday evening, "The @MDCPS family unites in deep thought and prayer for the young Coral Gables student who dramatically lost his life at a community park."
Friends erected a memorial for the teen at the park with candles and a skateboard with the words "RIP Jesus."
According to FPL, more than 1,000 customers were impacted when the power was shut down. The power was restored to all customers by 8 p.m.
