Four young children were left to fend for themselves after a house fire killed one of them, and their mother is now facing charges, Indiana officials say.
According to July 25 court records filed in Rush County, a 31-year-old Shelbyville woman — who McClatchy News will not name to protect the identities of her other children — is charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death as well as three counts of neglect of a dependent.
McClatchy couldn’t find the woman’s attorney information.
The charges come nearly two months after a “suspicious” house fire on June 5 that killed a 7-year-old boy, according to a newly filed deputy’s report.
According to the report, the woman called 911 twice around the time the fire broke out. The first call, at 1:40 p.m., was immediately disconnected, but she called again at 1:55 p.m., saying her house was on fire.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire was large, with flames billowing out of the windows, “which indicates this fire was going for some time,” according to the deputy.
When first responders arrived at the home, they discovered the burned body of a child — later identified as the woman’s son — in the fetal position on the living room floor, according to the deputy. Investigators determined that he died from smoke inhalation.
The fire started while the boy and his three siblings were watching TV in the living room, according to the deputy.
According to the report, their mother informed the deputy that she had accidentally caused the fire by falling asleep while smoking in bed. She stated that the smell of smoke awoke her and she jumped into action, rescuing her children from the burning house one at a time, but when she returned inside to get the 7-year-old, the smoke was too thick and she couldn’t save him.
However, as the investigation progressed, her version of events became increasingly implausible, according to the deputy. She did not smell of smoke, had no soot on her or her clothing, and showed no signs of having been near a fire, according to the report.
When asked why she hung up when she first called 911, she explained that she was panicked.
Investigators spoke with several witnesses, viewed surveillance video in the area, and collected data from the woman’s phone to determine where she was while her home was burning — and it was discovered that she had walked away from the burning home, leaving her children alone, according to the deputy.
“At the time of the first 911 call in which (the woman) hung up the phone, she was approximately 2 or more blocks from the residence,” said the investigators. This means she was aware of the fire despite being at least two blocks away, but she waited 15 minutes before calling for help.
Investigators discovered that the woman and her husband were having relationship problems, as evidenced by texts, witness accounts, and video footage of her painting obscenities on her husband’s vehicle.
The deputy reported that a witness overheard the woman yelling at her husband five days before the fire, saying, “I … hate you, and I hope everything you love dies.”
When the deputy called the husband on the day of the fire to inform him of what had happened, he said, “Arrest her.”
According to officials, three children aged four to six escaped the home, but their seven-year-old brother was unable to do so.
The fire started in the bedroom, but the exact cause has not been determined, according to the report.
Rush County is about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis.
