A mother in North Carolina faces charges after her four young daughters were killed in a house fire.
According to a press release from the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), police responded to a residence around 2:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, Aug. 30, after a woman reported that her home was on fire and that her four daughters were inside.
“When the first deputy arrived on scene nine minutes after the initial call, the house was completely engulfed in flames. Due to the severity of the fire, it was impossible to make a safe entry into the home,” police said, adding that the four children inside died as a result.
Reagan Powers, 28, allegedly left her four children, ages 2, 4, 6, and 7, at home and was not present when the fire began, according to WECT 6, WWAY 3, and Columbus County News (CCN). According to reports, she left the children with an 11-year-old.
Powers was arrested and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse with serious bodily injury on Wednesday, Sept. 10, according to arrest records obtained by WECT 6 and CCN.
Powers made her first court appearance on Thursday, September 11. The judge told her at the time that she could face up to 59 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and 88 months for negligent child abuse, according to WECT 6.
Powers’ bond was originally set at $400,000, but she has since bonded out, according to WECT 6 and CCN.
In a statement obtained by WWAY 3, the children’s father, Patrick Ellis, said, “My heart is shattered beyond words by the loss of my daughters.”
According to the outlet, more than 100 people attended the four children’s memorial service at a funeral home in Chadbourn on Tuesday, September 9.
