Three of the four siblings of a 10-year-old killed in a Loganville house fire on Easter Sunday are in protective custody after the investigation revealed signs of alleged abuse and neglect, authorities said.
Their 15-year-old brother, who is accused of setting the blaze, remains in a youth detention center, according to juvenile court records obtained by Channel 2 Action News.
When firefighters arrived about 5 a.m. Sunday, they found the front of the family’s Beaver Road home engulfed in flames. Out of seven people who lived there, five were home at the time, officials said. The mother and two of the children made it out safely, but 10-year-old Zoe McCue and her 15-year-old brother were missing.
Zoe was later found dead in a bedroom with no windows, according to fire officials. Her brother, however, was missing for four hours as firefighters sifted through the charred debris looking for him. He was found safe around 9 a.m. at another location and did not appear to have any injuries.
In the aftermath of the fire, investigators said they began to discover signs of alleged abuse, and the Gwinnett County Police Department’s special victims unit took over that part of the investigation.
The remaining three children, ages 17, 12 and 8, were moved into protective custody after an emergency hearing Monday, court records show.
“The children have not been in school in years, the home has no sewage system, the children have been using buckets to relieve themselves, and none of the children have had a shower in possibly months,” a Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) case manager wrote in an affidavit filed in juvenile court Monday.
“It is unclear how the children are impacted as they have not been outside the home in years,” the case manager added, noting that the alleged abuse would likely happen again if the children were allowed to remain in their parents’ custody.
Reached by phone Wednesday afternoon, the children’s mother did not respond to the allegations of abuse, saying she is “in no shape to talk to anybody.” The father could not be reached for comment.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not identifying either parent since they have not been criminally charged.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by Channel 2, the 15-year-old is accused of intentionally setting the house on fire knowing his family was inside. Two cats also were found dead inside the home. He is charged with malice murder and felony murder.
Credit: WSBTV Videos
The front half of the home was gutted by the fire. A tall, white fence surrounded the house, enclosing its yard that contained different playground items, including a trampoline, a swing set, slide and playhouse.
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