A North Carolina mother faces manslaughter and child abuse charges after her four young daughters were killed in a house fire.
A North Carolina mother has been charged after her four daughters died in a house fire while allegedly left unsupervised.
The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a home around 2:30 a.m. on August 30, where the residence was already engulfed in flames. “Due to the severity of the fire, it was not possible to make a safe entry into the home,” officials said. The victims were ages 2, 4, 6 and 7.
Authorities allege the children’s mother, Reagan Powers, 28, had left them in the care of an 11-year-old when the fire broke out. She was later arrested and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse.
Bond was initially set at $400,000, though she has since been released. The children’s father, Patrick Ellis, said, “My heart is shattered beyond words at the loss of my daughters.”
Over 100 people attended a memorial service on September 9.