Latest news with #RhondaSpencer
CBS News
15-05-2025
- CBS News
Deaths of Miami Gardens couple in house fire ruled murder-suicide, police say
Detectives now say the deaths of a married Miami Gardens couple in a May 7 house fire were the result of a murder-suicide, adding a heartbreaking turn to a tragedy that has left family members searching for answers. Couple, beloved pets perish fire Rhonda Spencer, a 65-year-old supervisor with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department and her husband of 20 years, Timothy Fordham, 59, died in the fire that engulfed their home near Hard Rock Stadium at Northwest 20th Avenue and 185th Terrace around 3:30 a.m. The couple's beloved dogs, a male and female poodle aged 4 and 5, also perished in the flames. The sole survivor, their nephew Tamonjamin Williams, said the ceiling collapsed on him during the fire. He recounted that a neighbor told him he was found on the roof, though he's unsure how he got there. Williams said he called out for his aunt and uncle but could not find them in the chaos. Witness accounts add to mystery One neighbor told CBS News Miami that he reported hearing gunshots to Miami Gardens police before the blaze erupted. Roberts said neighbors also described a series of loud, strange noises just before the fire. "Neighbors heard like a pop, then they heard a first explosion, and after that explosion they heard another pop and a big explosion," she said. "We don't know what that pop was." A sister's grief and a legacy of kindness CBS News Miami spoke with Rhonda Spencer's sister, Levaris Roberts, who expressed her deep sorrow over the incident. Roberts remembered her sister as a woman of deep compassion and generosity. "That's my sister," she said. "She helped everybody. This girl, if she saw somebody who needed help, she would give them help. She would go to church all day and stay in church. She never let our mom and dad stay in a nursing home because she wanted to take care of them at home."
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
Loved ones baffled by deadly Miami Gardens house fire, community mourns loss of beloved couple
Loved ones said they are still searching for answers after a devastating house fire in Miami Gardens claimed the lives of a couple and their two miniature poodles early Wednesday morning. Rhonda Spencer, a 65-year-old supervisor with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department and her husband of 20 years, Timothy Fordham, died in the fire that engulfed their home near Hard Rock Stadium at Northwest 20th Avenue and 185th Terrace around 3:30 a.m. The couple's beloved dogs, a male and female poodle aged 4 and 5, also perished in the flames. The sole survivor, their nephew Jamonjamin Williams, said the ceiling collapsed on him during the fire. He recounted that a neighbor told him he was found on the roof, though he's unsure how he got there. Williams said he called out for his aunt and uncle but could not find them in the chaos. Witness accounts add to mystery One neighbor told CBS News Miami that he reported hearing gunshots to Miami Gardens police before the blaze erupted. CBS News Miami reached out to the department for comment but has not yet received a response. Roberts said neighbors also described a series of loud, strange noises just before the fire. "Neighbors heard like a pop, then they heard a first explosion, and after that explosion they heard another pop and a big explosion," she said. "We don't know what that pop was." Investigators with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the cause of the fire is still unknown. Florida City Gas confirmed the home did not have gas service. A sister's grief and a legacy of kindness CBS News Miami spoke with Rhonda Spencer's sister, Levaris Roberts, who expressed her deep sorrow and confusion over the incident. "We are just trying to find out what happened and what caused it," Roberts said. "We don't know what caused it. We don't know how the house blew up. There are investigators trying to figure that out." Roberts remembered her sister as a woman of deep compassion and generosity. "That's my sister," she said. "She helped everybody. This girl, if she saw somebody who needed help, she would give them help. She would go to church all day and stay in church. She never let our mom and dad stay in a nursing home because she wanted to take care of them at home. I want answers as to what happened." Investigation continues amid rubble By Thursday afternoon, investigators from both Miami Gardens Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue had returned to the scene. Yellow crime scene tape still surrounded the charred remains of the home. From the air, CBS News Miami's drone showed the destruction: the house reduced to rubble, resembling a war zone.
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
Family demands answers after explosion, fire kills Miami Gardens couple
A massive fire early Wednesday morning destroyed a Miami Gardens home near Hard Rock Stadium. Miami Gardens police said a resident of the home at NW 185 Terrace and NW 20 Avenue woke to the sound of a loud explosion, discovered the fire and called 911 after failing to find his aunt and uncle. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed the couple were found dead inside. Lavaris Roberts is grieving the death of her sister, 65-year-old Rhonda Spencer and her husband of 20 years, Timothy Foreham. "She was churchgoing. She worked and she would go to church. She was the nicest person. Everyone loved her. There was no reason for what happened. We loved her so much and she supported all of us," Roberts said. Family members say Spencer was a supervisor at the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. Her sister Marcella said the loss is devastating. "We just buried her son the other month and now with my sister gone, it is overwhelming," she said. "She was one of my favorite sisters and her son was my favorite nephew and I always looked up to her. She was a strong, great sister." Explosion heard across the neighborhood MDFR said they received a call about the fire just after 3:30 a.m. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. Firefighters immediately attacked the fire while trying to keep it from spreading to adjacent properties. People who live in the neighborhood said they heard two explosions. "I just heard a booming sound like it was a bomb that went off — real loud," said neighbor Vanessa Wilcox. "It was a booming sound. Boom, like it was an explosion and the Earth kind of shook." Tamonjamin Williams, who survived the fire that killed his aunt and uncle, said, "I was laying in the bed and I was asleep and then I heard a loud explosion." He said a neighbor later told him he somehow ended up on the roof of the home. "I didn't even know how I got on the roof and jumped off the roof, that was God," Williams said. "I called for both of them and I'm looking in the backyard and it's dark." Residents in the area were evacuated due to an active gas line. However, according to a spokesperson with Florida City Gas, the home and neighboring houses did not have gas service. The utility company also confirmed there were no open gas leak reports in the neighborhood. Family and community in mourning Family members described Spencer and Foreham as kind-hearted, devoted people who were loved by all who knew them. "She was a great person, she was a hard worker, she was a Christian woman, she was active in the church — everyone has great things to say about my sister," said Jamie Spencer, Thonda's sister. "I'm hurting so bad, we're hurting so bad, it's not right. It's not. We want answers." Marvin Jones, Timothy Foreham's brother, added: "He was always there for me…. begins to cry" "I'm just destroyed, words can't imagine what I feel right now," Jones said. "I can't even describe it," said Jamie Spencer. "My sister was so important to my family. She was one of the matriarchs of our family." Investigation ongoing Roberts said the family is desperate for answers. "We don't know why this happened. They have footage but they haven't given us anything. They are investigating this case," she said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
