Teachers and business owner who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at Mexico City Airbnb brought light to those around them, families say
Carlos M. Ortiz, 61, died at the home, where he had recently moved from California, according to his family.
Ortiz worked for 10 years as a security guard in the city’s downtown. He joined a local group of people who, through an app called Airbnb, were renting properties they wanted to rent out.
“He was a quiet guy, never talked a lot. He never had many friends. He made friends.”
Carlos M. Ortiz, 61, worked for 10 years as a security guard, and was a part of a local group who, through the app, were renting out their properties. He became ill from carbon monoxide poisoning, and died of it.
The family of the deceased told the Guardian that Ortiz, who they consider a good man, “needed more from life.”
“He had a bad life. He was not happy with who he was. He saw himself as an idiot, and that he was going to end up there. He didn’t see the light,” said Carlos Martinez, his daughter.
Ortiz, a retired fire chief, was among the first Airbnb hosts to be killed by the popular home-sharing platform, and the first to be killed by carbon monoxide, according to a report published on Tuesday by The Guardian. Ortiz came to live in Mexico City during Mexico’s revolution in February, when he arrived in the city from California.
Martinez’s parents were friends with Ortiz, who had lived in California. She decided to send him a postcard, saying, “Hello Mr. Ortiz.” The card was delivered to a police station in Mexico City when Ortiz was ill.
After the card is not returned, Martinez tells the Guardian, she is considering suing Airbnb, the parent company of the popular home-sharing platform.
“I can’t forgive him. I can’t forget him,” she said. “Carlos was a nice guy. He had a bad life. He was not happy with who he was. He saw himself as an idiot, and that he would end up there, he didn’t see the light. He was looking for help but he didn’t have confidence that anyone could help him. Even the police and the city hadn’t
