Teachers and business owner who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at Mexico City Airbnb brought light to those around them, families say.
Carlos González Gallegos and his wife, Mirta, were killed in the early hours of Sept. 15 at an Airbnb in the San Ángel neighborhood of Mexico City. The couple had been sleeping in a room where they rented out their three-story, nine-bedroom house on a weekly basis.
“No one can ever imagine what happened in that room,” Gallegos’ partner, Carlos Castro, told Reuters.
González arrived at their San Angel home at around 2 a.m. and found the couple dead at the bottom of the stairs, their rooms lit up by the street light.
The case has sparked outrage from residents, but also calls for answers.
“They should be considered and treated like any other victim of a crime,” Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told reporters, blaming the “irresponsible users” who were responsible for the deaths.
But the murder victim’s family — who allege that the couple’s deaths were the result of carbon monoxide poisoning and not a crime — have called for an investigation into the couple’s deaths.
The authorities say that the couple were killed in a “tragic incident” in which the couple, who were both well-off, turned on the electric heater that was turned on to help them sleep.
At the time of their deaths, both González and Castro had also installed an app that they thought would help other Airbnb hosts keep tabs on what their guests were up to.
The couple also had started a local Airbnb group called “Municipal Airbnb Community,” which Castro created in 2014. The group helped find other Airbnb hosts who would be willing to participate.
“They were very friendly and liked the opportunity to share with us … their experiences,” Castro told Reuters.
‘I don’t want to die at a house’
González was not only wealthy but also outspoken.
He was part of the Mexico City chapter of the National Action Party and owned restaurants. His work in politics earned him the nickname
