Police accuse Michigan mom of setting house fire that killed daughter
Grand Rapids, Mich. – A woman from West Michigan is accused of setting a house fire in which her 12-year-old daughter killed who was trapped in a bedroom.
“This is a shocking cruel, unimaginable crime committed by a mother to her three children,” said Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom.
The child died on Monday evening, two days after the fire in Grand Rapids. Two other children, aged 7 and 10, survived.
Winstrom said that the 46-year-old mother had removed smoke detectors from the house and poured lighter liquid before putting the fire. She was outside when the police arrived.
Shouting from the house “will live in our head for the rest of our lives,” said fire commander Brad Brown on Monday.
The mother was in custody pending a court. Public Prosecutor Chris Becker said that mental health probably played a role in the fire.
“I think that’s what will come out,” he said.