Melva Bonilla and her husband, Edgar Cinfuentes, had planned to spend Christmas Eve at a place that held a special memory for them—the church where they exchanged vows seven years ago. But instead of celebrating together, Melva found herself standing on a street corner in Northwest Washington, D.C., consumed by heartbreak.
Her husband, Edgar, a 36-year-old construction worker from Guatemala, was trapped under the rubble of a rowhouse that collapsed earlier that day. The tragic accident happened on V Street NW, near the 1100 block. Firefighters and emergency teams were already at the scene when Melva arrived. D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly approached her and asked to speak privately.
They stepped away from the chaos of ambulances and flashing lights. As the devastating reality sank in, Melva began to cry quietly. Edgar, her partner in life, was gone. Officials informed the family that he didn’t survive the collapse.
Edgar had been working on a construction project at the rowhouse when it partially collapsed around 9:30 a.m., sending bricks and cement crumbling to the ground. The family shared that Edgar loved his family deeply and had a teenage daughter who lives in Miami. He also shared a special bond with Melva, spending much of his free time with her at the church where they first met.
The collapsed building was part of a larger renovation project in the area. According to city records, the D.C. Department of Buildings had issued a raze permit for the structure last year, but the rowhouse had not been fully demolished like its neighboring building. The property was supposed to be replaced by a five-story building with six apartments, as per a June permit. Construction had begun about a month ago, focusing on preparing the structural foundation.
Brian Hanlon, the director of the Department of Buildings, stated that the building had valid permits and was inspected in December. The department is now investigating what went wrong on Monday that led to such a tragic collapse. A spokesperson for the department mentioned that the raze permit for the rowhouse had expired and that the agency is reviewing the construction activities that took place before the wall came down.
The property is owned by a Delaware-based company, 1111 V Street LLC, led by Ritesh Matta, according to public records. Matta did not respond to requests for comment.
As the day turned into evening, Melva and her family stayed near the rubble, waiting for Edgar’s body to be recovered. For them, seeing him one last time was the only way to truly accept that he was gone. It was a heartbreaking scene—one of love, loss, and unanswered questions. The family is now calling on the city to provide answers and ensure that such a tragedy doesn’t happen again.
