MIAMI – The mother of a 17-year-old boy who was electrocuted after jumping a fence into an Florida Power & Light substation is suing FPL in excess of $15,000.
The lawsuit filed Thursday states that the mother of Jesus Meneses, 17, "demands judgement against FPL for damages, costs, interest and such further relief as is just and proper, for the estate of the descendent and its survivors."
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Meneses was electrocuted on Oct. 27 after making the fatal mistake of jumping a fence at Kinloch Park to fetch a ball that had gone over into the neighboring substation.
Kinloch Park staff said they heard a loud explosion and ran all the kids inside the community center. Staffers said they soon noticed a large crowd gathering by a fence next to the power substation that borders the park.
"I was sitting down and I heard an explosion, and they said that my friend Jesus was in there in the electricity plant," Andy Gonzalez said. "So we all ran to the fence that looks at it and I saw his body. I witnessed him on the ground next to a basketball."
Meneses was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the lawsuit, FPL officials were aware of balls routinely flying over their fence, and were aware of children often hopping the fence to retrieve their balls.
The lawsuit alleges that FPL "had the ability to foresee the significant and potentially deadly zone of risk that was created by its proximity to Kinlock Park, and a concomitant history of easy access to the Kinloch substation."
Park employees said they never saw Meneses jump the fence and it appeared he went pretty deep into the substation. Some of his friends said Meneses may have only gone after the ball for someone else.
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