2 mothers arrested-fatal fire claims 5

[E-man]

I shoulda posted the original articles. These 2 waste of life mothers were just arrested today. They left their kids at home last weekend, Sat. I think so they could go boozing. The younger kids started playing with matches and the house burned killing 5 of the children in the house.
The mothers {I cant even use that term without downright anger} initially claimed a babysitter was there and they lied for days.
They finally admitted the oldest at the house was I think 8....


http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07172/796029-100.stm
Mothers surrender to face charges in fatal fire
Thursday, June 21, 2007

By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette
Shakita Mangham, left, and Furaha Love surrendered this morning to face manslaughter and other charges related to a fire last week in Larimer that killed five children.



Two mothers who lost a total of five children in a fire last week in Larimer surrendered this morning to be arraigned on manslaughter charges.


Shakita Mangham and Furaha Love, both 25, have now acknowledged that they left the children alone without a baby sitter, according to police affidavits released today. Three of Ms. Mangham's children and two of Ms. Love's died in the fire in the early hours of June 12 at Ms. Mangham's home at 6429 Winslow St.

Ms. Mangham was arrested on charges that include five counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of reckless endangerment, four counts of child endangerment and one count of filing false reports. Bail was set for her at $10,000, though her bond will be 10 percent of that, or $1,000. City Court officials said she was being processed for her release around noon. A preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. June 29.
Ms. Love's charges are nearly identical except she faces three counts of child endangerment.

Each of the women has an 8-year-old son who survived the fire.

Ms. Mangham initially told police that she and Ms. Love had left the children with a baby sitter. She later admitted that she had lied about the sitter and that she and Ms. Love left the children home without supervision.

According to the affidavits, Ms. Love left her children at Ms. Mangham's home around 4:30 p.m. and went to work. She returned after work and the women sat on the porch for a few hours. The two decided to go out for a drink around 10:15 p.m.

"Furaha admitted that when she left she knew that there was not a baby sitter and that the younger children were left in the care of the two 8-year-olds," the affidavit states.

The documents also reveal that Ms. Mangham believes it's likely that her daughter, Daekia Holyfield, 7, may have been the child who started the fire by playing with matches. She told police that she confronted her daughter about it after her 8-year-old son told her about an earlier occurrence.

Ms. Mangham's defense attorney, James M. Ecker, said his client might be released following her arraignment and the setting of bail.

However, he expects that a district judge also might order her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation by the Behavior Clinic at the Allegheny County Jail.

It was not known whether she would remain in custody, pending that examination.

Ms. Love was accompanied by her father, Lutual Love, and attorney Ernest H. Sharif, when she surrendered this morning.

[E-man]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07167/794653-53.stm