"You could hear her screaming"

?'You could hear her screaming': Two dead in murder-suicide bomb blast
By Jessica Heslam, Laurel J. Sweet, O'Ryan Johnson and Jessica Fargen

Thursday, March 15, 2007 - Updated: 12:43 PM EST

A Lynn man murdered the mother of his children yesterday, killing himself and her in a fiery blast after he stormed her workplace and trapped her inside an elevator, authorities and witnesses said.
"You could hear her screaming on the other side. You could hear her crying out," said attorney Phil Lamonica, who shared an office with Xiomara Robles, 20, and tried desperately to save her in the moments before she died. "It's terrible. It's tragic. She was a very nice girl."
Troubles between Robles and Raymond Echavarria, 23 - her boyfriend and the father of her children - spiraled out of control yesterday when he showed up with explosives at Central Square Therapy Associates, a Lynn psychiatric clinic where Robles was a secretary.
Investigators say it appears that Echavarria used gasoline to ignite the fire in the elevator and a two-gallon gasoline container, a lighter and knife were found at the scene, according to a statement released today by the Essex County District Attorney's office.
Witnesses told police Echavarria forced Robles into the elevator and they heard an explosion a short time later, the statement said.
The explosion inside the three-story brick office building at 150 Market St. occurred just before 2:30 p.m. First responders were met by a first-floor elevator "engulfed in flames," according to Lynn police Capt. Mark O'Toole.
Emergency workers made the grisly discovery after prying open the elevator's doors. Two other people were taken to area hospitals and treated for minor injuries, including Robles' 5-year-old son Raymond, who suffers asthma and inhaled the smoke, relatives and authorities said.
Robles had taken her son to the clinic yesterday and Lamonica had bought themsubs for lunch."The little boy was running up and down the hall. You could tell her son loved her," Lamonica said.
An hour later, a secretary ran into his office, hysterical and looking for help. Lamonica darted toward the elevator and began pushing buttons to try to get the terrified Robles out. That's when he heard her screams, and ran for help.
While he was on the phone, he heard the explosion.
"The elevator was totally consumed with fire and the door had blown halfway off," Lamonica said.
When Robles was a baby, her parents moved from Puerto Rico to Lynn, where she grew up. She met Raymond in middle school, said her sister Limaries Robles, 21, and decided last year that the relationship wasn't working. That's when trouble started between the couple, who have two children together, her sister said.
"I think she was pretty much used to him," she said. "She'd never been with anyone but him. She was just a little girl when they met."
In January, Echavarria briefly kidnapped Robles, her sister said, and Robles took action, pressing charges and taking out a restraining order against him. But she said her sister eventually dropped the case.
"I told her to at least keep the restraining order," her sister said. "But she didn't. She didn't want anything bad for him."
Two days ago, the striking beauty put her foot down and got her own place. Her sister said that day, Echavarria erupted, cursing both of them.
"He never hit her. He was never the violent type," she said. "He just snapped."
"She was a great sister," Limaries Robles said. "She was a great mother, a great aunt . . . When every door was closed to you she was always there. Always open."

Boston Herald