A 22-year-old Erie woman has been charged in connection with a March 29 apartment fire that killed her three young children, prosecutors say. Investigators allege the mother left the kids alone so she could complete a drug transaction in nearby Corry and was gone for roughly 50 minutes when the fire broke out. The victims, ages 5, 3 and about 5 months, were discovered in a bedroom and later pronounced dead.
Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz announced the indictment in a news release from the Erie County District Attorney's Office, calling the loss "a heartbreaking, but completely preventable tragedy." Hirz said investigators found evidence that the children had been left without supervision and that parental duty had been abandoned, with devastating results. The mother, identified in court filings as Danozjna Williams, is facing multiple counts, including third-degree murder and endangering the welfare of children.
What investigators say
Court records obtained by local reporters state that the fire was reported shortly before 4:30 p.m. and that firefighters struggled to reach the upstairs area because a mattress and a couch were blocking access to the stairwell and an interior door. According to those documents, Williams left the apartment around 4:01 p.m. and did not return until about 4:51 p.m. By then, crews had forced entry through another door and found the children in a bedroom, as described in reporting by CBS Pittsburgh.
Charges and custody
Local reports say Williams was arrested and arraigned in early May. A judge denied bail, and she is currently being held in the Erie County Prison. Authorities have said investigators executed search warrants and sought medical records and other documents as part of the broader probe. One of the children was flown to UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh after the fire and later died from inhalation injuries, according to TalkErie.
Investigation continues
State and local officials say the investigation remains active and that more steps, including possible grand jury activity or additional filings, could still be coming as evidence is reviewed. The district attorney's office has publicly thanked first responders for their work at the scene and stressed that all charges are allegations until proven in court. For now, the case moves through the Erie County court system while investigators continue gathering records and testimony, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
