UPDATE 10/20/2009 12:14pm) A spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Children's Services says the 5-year-old is living with another family member. This was a voluntary move suggested by the family and DCS. The 2-year-old is now in state custody even though he's at Le Bonheur. Attorney General has declined to press charges in this time. The case will be presented to a grand jury.
FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 10/19/2009) Two toddlers were left home alone Monday when a fire broke out inside their duplex.
Firefighters were able to pull them out, but it was too late for 3-year-old Ladareon Dunn who died at the hospital, his 2-year-old brother remains in critical condition.
The incident happened at the 1200 block of Effie. Tonight the children's mother has some serious explaining to do about why she left her kids home alone.
Homicide detectives questioned the 23-year-old mother at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center Monday evening. According to other relatives, this isn't the first time she left her kids alone.
"I know they was asleep, she said they was asleep when she left," said family friend Christean Mullins.
A 3-year-old and his 2-year-old little brother were trapped inside a duplex as flames shot out the roof. Mullins won't forget what she saw.
"I saw both of them come out, they was just real dark, real black," she said. "They weren't moving or anything like that, it just really hurts me."
Fire officials say the children's mother left the toddlers alone while she went shopping and dropped off a lawncare worker at his house. Marilyn Wilson was with her.
She says they were gone for about an hour and that they thought it was okay to leave the kids alone since they'd done it this morning.
"We had left them early this morning while we went to the food stamps office," said Wilson. "We got back, everything was all right."
Wilson says she has no idea how the flames erupted. She just kept repeating this, "I really need to get in here and see if my purse burned up, because I had my food stamps card in there."
Fire investigators went in and out of the house all afternoon, trying to determine how this all started.
As of Monday night, a cause had not been determined.
Memphis Police say it's possible the mother, who also has a 5-year-old child, could face charges of Criminally Negligent Homicide, Child Abuse, Neglect. We're also told child services may be stepping in.
FAST FACTS:
- One toddler dies in house fire, other in critical
- Aunt sees nothing wrong with leaving kids alone, worries about food stamp card
- Mother could be charged
(Memphis 10/19/2009) Two toddlers were left home alone Monday when a fire broke out inside their duplex.
Firefighters were able to pull them out, but it was too late for 3-year-old Ladareon Dunn who died at the hospital, his 2-year-old brother remains in critical condition.
The incident happened at the 1200 block of Effie. Tonight the children's mother has some serious explaining to do about why she left her kids home alone.
Homicide detectives questioned the 23-year-old mother at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center Monday evening. According to other relatives, this isn't the first time she left her kids alone.
"I know they was asleep, she said they was asleep when she left," said family friend Christean Mullins.
A 3-year-old and his 2-year-old little brother were trapped inside a duplex as flames shot out the roof. Mullins won't forget what she saw.
"I saw both of them come out, they was just real dark, real black," she said. "They weren't moving or anything like that, it just really hurts me."
Fire officials say the children's mother left the toddlers alone while she went shopping and dropped off a lawncare worker at his house. Marilyn Wilson was with her.
She says they were gone for about an hour and that they thought it was okay to leave the kids alone since they'd done it this morning.
"We had left them early this morning while we went to the food stamps office," said Wilson. "We got back, everything was all right."
Wilson says she has no idea how the flames erupted. She just kept repeating this, "I really need to get in here and see if my purse burned up, because I had my food stamps card in there."
Fire investigators went in and out of the house all afternoon, trying to determine how this all started.
As of Monday night, a cause had not been determined.
Memphis Police say it's possible the mother, who also has a 5-year-old child, could face charges of Criminally Negligent Homicide, Child Abuse, Neglect. We're also told child services may be stepping in.
