Man whose wife, son were injured in Brooklyn building collapse wants answers: “The building had no reason to fall on its own”

November 13, 2026 / 8:53 PM EST / CBS News

The world crumbled around Anderson Velez's family on Wednesday when the multi-use Brooklyn building where they resided collapsed.

Video from a baby monitor showed his terrified sons and wife, Joanna, inside their third-floor apartment as the walls broke open and crashed. CBS News also obtained surveillance video capturing the apartment building and storefront crashing down.

Eight people, ranging in age from 9 to 31, died in the collapse, including two children. Another 18 were injured.

Joanna Velez remains hospitalized, as does their 9-year-old son, Pablo Alvarez, who is recovering from surgery for a severe head injury. Miraculously, their 2-year-old son Joseph Alvarez survived with barely a scratch.

Anderson Velez, who was not home at the time, told CBS News his fear when he heard of the collapse was that his children had "lost their lives."

The building where the Velez family resided collapsed into an adjacent construction site and also tore off the side of another building in the process.

Now, the search for answers and accountability is underway, as the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

The collapsed building had 98 open violations…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/