5-year-old in bed killed as tree slams into home during storm, AR family says
A 5-year-old boy died when a tree fell on his home during storms that ripped through Arkansas, his family said.
Mario Pacheco’s mother, Cassandra Pacheco, told KATV that a bad storm hammered her southwest Little Rock neighborhood the morning of April 5.
She and her young children were laying in her bed when high winds uprooted a tree and sent it crashing into her bedroom, KARK reported.
“My little one, 5-year-old Mario, unfortunately, was at the end of the bed when the tree fell. And unfortunately it landed on top of him, causing him to lose his life,” Cassandra Pacheco told KATV. “We never expected anything like this. Everyone there did so much to try to get him out, but unfortunately, when they found him, it was too late.”
After Mario’s death, Pacheco raised the alarm on her Facebook page about a GoFundMe campaign that claimed to be raising money for her family. She said the false page has been reported.
“I can’t believe how people can be so cruel,” she wrote. “I know for a while we will be a target to be used so people can scam my friends and family and the community that is around me. I know Mario greatly appreciates each and every one of you that continue to stand by our side through this all.”
The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) reported 14 injuries as a result of the extreme weather. One of the injuries was also caused by a tree falling on a home.
Statewide, two people died in the storms. One was Mario on April 5. The other was a man who drowned in a submerged vehicle after a failed rescue attempt on the same day, according to ADEM. His body was recovered April 7.
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 3:40 PM with the headline "5-year-old in bed killed as tree slams into home during storm, AR family says."
