Moorpark, CA – By Teresa Rochester,VenturaCountyStar.com
Two Moorpark men were found dead inside a condominium Saturday morning, apparently overcome by carbon monoxide fumes while they were working, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office.
Victor Manuel Monroy Cortez, 20, and his 25-year-old cousin, Jose Luis Monroy Cortez, were cleaning carpets in the condo in the 11000 block of Torino Street in Moorpark on Friday night to get it ready for an open house on Saturday.
The men had backed their truck into the condo’s garage and were using a gasoline-powered generator to run their carpet cleaning pump, officials said.
A neighbor who had walked past the condo told officials the garage door had been open at 9:30 p.m., but when the neighbor looked again at 9:50 p.m. the garage door was closed, Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Craig Stevens, said.
On Friday night, the Cortezes were supposed to call a woman who was going to do the final detail work in the condo on Saturday morning, but they never called.
When the woman showed up at the condo Saturday morning at 9:35, she discovered both men lying on the living room floor, Stevens said.
It was hot in the building, the air smelled of gas and the generator had run out of fuel sometime during the night.
Stevens said autopsies will be conducted.
“It’s our guess, they probably shut the garage door not realizing they just sort of sealed up the unit and the exhaust” filled up the unit, Stevens said.