Roof Collapse At Fontana Strip Mall Leaves 7 Trapped

FONTANA (CBSLA.com) — Authorities say occupants of a Fontana strip mall avoided serious injury Friday afternoon when a roof partially collapsed.

Firefighters and paramedics responded to the call just before 1 p.m. about a facade that collapsed on a walkway at 17096 Foothill Boulevard, according to a San Bernardino County Fire spokesperson.

Crews found seven victims trapped inside the building and used ladders to gain access to the victims, authorities said.

The trapped victims were able to walk out from the scene unharmed, according to authorities.

Security video showed the roof as it collapsed.

KCAL9's Brittney Hopper on Friday evening spoke to the store's owner and witnesses to the collapse.

"It was shocking! I can't believe a roof would just fall off," said Christy Rockney of Fontana.

She was about to go to the party supply shop to buy a jumper for her son's birthday party.

"That easily could have been me and my vehicle," Rockney said.

The owner of the party supply shop, Joseph Rodriguez, was walking into the store when the roof came down, narrowly missing him.

"Right when I walked in the store is when I heard everything, so if I wouldn't have took those couple of seconds to go to the store I would have been under there. I don't know if I could have died or I could have been seriously injured," said Rodriguez.

The owner of the building didn't want to go on camera but told Hopper he just happy no one was seriously injured.