By Bradley Massman
mlive.com
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – With her children locked inside bedrooms, a mother allegedly removed all smoke detectors from her home and doused the two-story structure with lighter fluid.
She then allegedly set fire to the residence in an attempt to kill all three of her kids while the trapped children screamed for help, Grand Rapids’ police chief said during a press conference Monday afternoon.
The 46-year-old woman accused of setting the blaze faces arson and child abuse charges in Grand Rapids 61st District Court.
New details about a house fire on the city’s Southeast Side came to light Monday, Jan. 27, during a press conference at Grand Rapids Police Headquarters.
The house fire was reported by a passerby around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at 956 Eastern Avenue SE. A motive has not been determined.
“To put it lightly, this is a shockingly cruel crime committed by a mother,” Grand Rapids police Chief Eric Winstrom said.
Winstrom was joined by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and Fire Chief Brad Brown who each shared horrific details about the case.
An investigation revealed the woman removed all seven of her smoke detectors and put them in a bag outside, Winstrom said. She poured lighter fluid throughout the home before setting the fire, he added.
Three girls – ages 7, 10 and 12 – were inside as firefighters battled flames. Authorities played body-worn camera and dashcam footage that showed flames pouring out of windows as black smoke filled the air. The woman was outside of the home when police arrived.
At one point in the footage, a first-responder is seen administering CPR to a person on the ground. Firefighters could hear the children from the outside.
“(Those were) screams that will live on in our heads for the rest of our lives,” Brown said.
Becker’s office charged the woman with first-degree arson and three counts of second-degree child abuse. MLive/The Grand Rapids Press is not naming the woman pending arraignment, which was not immediately scheduled.
Two of the children were treated and released from the hospital. The 12-year-old girl remains in critical condition, Winstrom said. The father of the children has been involved throughout the investigation, but didn’t live at the home, Winstrom added.
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