The burning steeple of Sts. Joseph and Michael Church in Union City on Saturday morning
UNION CITY -- Following a fire that killed a toddler in Union City early Saturday, the boy's father remained hospitalized in critical condition on Sunday, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office announced.
The father, Eddie Gonzalez Sr., was taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center Saturday, where he was listed in critical but stable condition, Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.
Authorities said Gonzalez was burned in the 1 a.m. blaze trying to rescue his son, who did not survive.
The prosecutor's office also said that the boy's mother, Aaliaya Mercado, had been released from Hoboken University Hospital, where she was taken for treatment of undisclosed injuries following the blaze.
The prosecutor's office identified the boy as Eddie Gonzalez Jr., who was a few weeks from turning 2.
Suarez's office said Union City Police received a 911 call reporting a fire on Summit Avenue at 1 a.m.
Responding officers found that all occupants of 1404 Summit Ave. were accounted for, except for Eddie Jr., whose body was found after the fire was brought under control.
"Eddie would have turned 2-years-old in several weeks," the prosecutor's office stated.
Suarez's office said a preliminary investigation determined that the fire started inside 1404 Summit Ave., before spreading to 1400, 1402, 1406 and 1408 Summit, and then to the steeple of Sts. Joseph and Michael Church on Central Avenue, which collapsed and fell from the roof of the church after catching fire.
Neighbors were devastated by the blaze, which destroyed several apartments, and forced the evacuation of about 80 people from other nearby homes.
Erin Knoedler, a Union City spokeswoman, said Sunday night that several of the evacuated residents had been able to return to their homes, though some of them were without power, after the falling church steeple downed power lines.
The investigation into the precise point of origin and cause of the fire is ongoing, Suarez's office said. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Union City Police Department at 201-348-5790, or the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345.
Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.