A Pregnant Mom and Her Small Children Died in House Fire. Now, 2 Suspects Have Been Charged with Murder

Two people have been arrested after an arson fire killed a pregnant woman and her two young children in Philadelphia.

On Wednesday, June 25, Charles Sumpter, 67, and Fleitte Newell, 44, were arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and related offenses, following the death of Ashley Thompson and her two children on June 13, according to 6ABC, NBC 10 and Fox 29. 

Firefighters found the 31-year-old mother deceased on the second floor of the rowhouse in the 2500 block of N. Corlies Street in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood after an arson fire broke out just before 5 a.m., per NBC 10.

Her two children, who were identified as 6-year-old Assad Thompson and 4-year-old Alaya Thompson-Newell, later died in the hospital, 6ABC reported.

“Upon arrival, officers found the property fully engulfed in flames,” according to a Philadelphia Police Department press release. “While firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, five individuals were discovered inside the residence.”

A 54-year-old woman escaped the fire with a third child, police said.

One of the suspects arrested, Newell, is the sister of the 54-year-old survivor, identified as Sherry Jackson, NBC 10 reported.

The victim told the outlet that she had been arguing with Newell over the house for a year. She alleged that the suspect previously threatened to “burn the house with her in it.” Jackson claims that no action was taken when she reported the threat. 

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According to 6ABC, Sumpter and Newell were interviewed on the day of the arson but were not arrested until Wednesday when they were served a warrant. 

A family member previously told NBC 10 that Thompson was seven months pregnant at the time of her death. She is described as “a loving mother, daughter, and friend” in a GoFundMe page.

“Her children were her joy, her purpose, and the light of so many lives around them,” per the fundraiser.

The Philadelphia Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information on Sunday, June 29.