Hazlet father calls deceased wife "a hero" for rushing into burning home.
HAZLET – William Montanaro says his wife is a hero.
And his heart is broken.
“I have lost the love of my life – my beautiful wife, Jackie – and my sweet, spunky, little girl, Madelyn,” Montanaro wrote on social media just hours after Jacqueline Montanaro, and their 6-year-old daughter, Madelyn, died from injuries suffered in a fire at their Brookside Avenue Hazlet home. “Jackie was a hero.”
Montanaro went on to describe the fiery scene at their home early Friday, which ended with their deaths.
“When I rushed back into the house for Madelyn, I became enveloped in a massive amount of thick, hot, black smoke,” he wrote in the online statement. “Without hesitation, Jackie then charged in with a mother’s love and the courage of a police officer fueling her attempt to save our daughter.”
Noting his wife’s job as a customs and border protection officer, Montanaro praised her bravery and said he is focused on helping his older daughter, 8-year-old, Elena, overcome the shock and grief of the tragedy.
“I am now focused on getting my daughter the support and help she’s going to need so we can rebuild our lives,” he added.
Investigators on Monday still had no cause for the fire that gutted one side of the two-story home and burned through the roof of the other side of the sprawling residence. It also charred a sport-utility vehicle parked in the driveway.
The family is also searching for their dog, Duchess, according to Montanaro.
He offered praise and gratitude for emergency responders and friends and neighbors for “rallying by our side during this extraordinarily difficult and painful time … Words cannot express the overall gratitude and outpouring of support for Elena and myself. We are humbled.”
Meanwhile, nearly $220,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe.com page set up by Customs United Service Alliance and NTEU 161. Ms. Montanaro, who worked as a supervisory customs and border protection officer, was a member of the organization.
“We cannot express in words how tragic the loss of this amazing supervisor, colleague, friend, mom and hero is to our community,” a statement on the page said. “Jackie’s ability to get any job done at work was only second to her love and devotion to her family at home.”
Hazlet Police also posted a message on their Facebook page, declaring, “As the Hazlet community tries to wrap ours heads around such a tragic event, please keep the Montanaro family in your thoughts and help support them if you can.”
Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of three books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jackie Montanaro a 'hero' for trying to rescue daughter in fire
