A Michigan mom has been accused of starting a house fire that killed her 12-year-old daughter who was trapped in a bedroom.
Roconda Singleton, 46, removed all seven smoke detectors from the house and poured lighter fluid before setting the fire on Saturday morning, according to Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom.
Her oldest daughter, Shamiya Stewart, 12, died on Monday night. Family members said that Shamiya suffered burns to over 30 percent of her body, while the fire chief said she also suffered smoke inhalation, according to Tristate Homepage.
"This is a shockingly cruel, unimaginable crime committed by a mom against her three kids," Winstrom added.
Shamiya’s sisters, aged seven and 10, survived the blaze.
Court documents state that as the fire spread and her girls started to scream, Singleton stood outside watching.
It was the actions of a stranger who helped get the pair out of the home, according to court documents seen by Fox17.
A group effort by the Grand Rapids Police Department, Grand Rapids Fire Department, Michigan State Police, and the ATF found evidence the fire was deliberately set, according to Fox17.
Screams from inside the house “will live on in our heads for the rest of our lives,” Grand Rapids Fire Chief Brad Brown said Monday.
Singleton, who was outside the home when police arrived, appeared in court Tuesday on arson and child abuse charges. She doesn’t have a lawyer yet, and a not guilty plea was entered by a judge. Additional charges are likely.
After Shamiya’s death, her father described her as a “fighter.”
“She ain’t deserve this at all. She’s a good child. She’s my special baby. She was in the NICU for four months. It’s hard. It’s hard. It’s hard for me,” dad Lyn Stewart said. “Just keep the family in prayer, please. That’s all I can say.”
Prosecutor Chris Becker said Singleton's mental health probably played a role in the tragedy. Court filings show she was placed in an area treatment center in 2024.
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Additional reporting from AP.
