Discovery in Demolished Structure
On Wednesday in Toledo, a missing woman was located within the remains of a house that had been demolished. The 63-year-old, identified as Rinda Brown, had last been seen around November 21.
Cause of Death and Investigation
The Lucas County Coroner's Office reported that Brown died from inhaling smoke and soot. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident.
Fire and Search Efforts
The house near the 400 block of Baden Street caught fire in the early morning of November 24. During the search for Brown, police were directed to this location, according to Officer Prince Flores of the Toledo Police Department.
The building had been classified as a "code red building" due to damage from a previous fire in 2022. Fire Chief Allison Armstrong explained that crews avoid interior firefighting in such structures "unless there is a line of sight rescue."
During the November 24 fire, firefighters considered entering but did not due to a roof collapse. "They did go around the entire house to look into the first-floor windows to attempt to see if there was anybody in there," Armstrong said. They found nothing.
Demolition and Aftermath
The house was demolished later that morning, and the fire's cause remains unknown. There were conflicting reports about whether the property was vacant.
Brown's niece, Jamyia Smith, expressed her feelings about the discovery. "I felt it. It's like God kept guiding me there. I'm grateful that they're doing their part, and they did decide to go through there, and they took our word as far as searching the house. I'm crushed," said Smith.
She added, "I'm just going to stick with my family and try to, you know, try to stay strong. Even though it's an unfortunate situation for us, and we definitely weren't prepared for this. I was optimistic on finding her. I was like, 'I'm going to find her. She's going to pop up.' It's a tough situation."
Previous Complaints
City officials noted one prior complaint about the Baden Street house. A report on September 16 alleged teenagers were trespassing there. Code compliance inspectors monitored the property while it was on the city's demolition list.
The case remains under investigation.
