The mother of two children who died overnight in a DeKalb County house fire has been charged with two counts of felony murder, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Rockell Coleman, 28, also faces five counts of cruelty to children in the second degree. Her five children were in their Misty Valley Road home alone when the fire started, Channel 2 reported.
Three of them survived, though a 10-year-old boy is in critical condition and on life support. Authorities said the other two are in fair condition.
All five children were taken to the hospital, where two boys – age 3 and 4 – died. Officials said the children had been left unsupervised. Fire investigators are looking for the cause and are also investigating why the children were left alone, according to Channel 2.
One neighbor said one of the boy’s indicated his mother was at work. Police and fire investigators interviewed the mother when she showed up at the hospital. She could be charged with a third murder count if the 10-year-old does not survive.
Distraught neighbors saw the front of the house in flames as firefighters arrived.
“I was in the house and heard a big pop,” Shantel Ammamoo told Channel 2. Then she heard screams. Firefighters found two boys, ages 9 and 4, outside the home when they arrived. But three others were still inside.
“One of the fire captains kicked in the door and found two children,” said Capt. Eric Jackson of DeKalb County Fire Rescue. “He grabbed those two children out and began immediate medical care while other firefighters went in to get the other child.”
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