Mom Allegedly Hid Fire Alarms in Yard, Then Set House on Fire to Kill 3 Kids as They Screamed for Help: Police

A Michigan woman is in custody after police allege she set her house on fire with her three children inside, killing her 12-year-old daughter. 

The victim, Shamiya Stewart, died two days after the alleged attack in her Grand Rapids, Mich., home, the Associated Press reported. Her siblings, a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old, both survived.

Their mother, 46-year-old Roconda Singleton, was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 25, in connection to the incident, according to Kent County online court records reviewed by PEOPLE. 

Singleton allegedly removed seven fire alarms from the home before setting it on fire on Saturday morning, the AP, FOX 17 and WOOD TV reported, citing Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom and unspecified court documents, respectively. The fire alarms were found ringing inside a pillowcase in the backyard, per authorities, FOX 17 reported.

According to police and a preliminary report, it appears that Singleton was allegedly trying to prevent the children from coming out of the house, WZZM 13 and FOX 17 reported. 

As the fire spread and the girls began screaming for help, Singleton allegedly stood outside the home, watching the carnage, police said, according to FOX 17.

During questioning, Singleton allegedly told investigators she was the one who set the fire, WOOD TV and AP reported. 

“Singleton stated she used lighter fluid and a lighter and started the fire in the bathroom on the second floor,” authorities alleged in a court document cited by WOOD TV. “Singleton then moved to the living room and put lighter fluid on the couch and started it on fire.”

“Singleton admitted doing all this knowing that her children were asleep in the home.”

Her two other children survived the attack and were released from the hospital soon afterward, WZZM 13 reported.

In a GoFundMe set up to honor Shamiya and help her siblings and father process the loss, her family claims the surviving girls were able to escape after the 10-year-old “grabbed her younger sister and jumped to safety.” Shamiya, the fundraiser said, was asleep throughout the fire.

She is being remembered for her feisty spirit, having been born less than two pounds and spending her first four months in the NICU. 

“Shamiya was a fighter from the day she was born and fought to the very end,” read part of the fundraiser. “She grew to be a loving young lady who loved music, loved to dance, and loved her electronics.”

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Singleton was initially charged with one count of first-degree arson and three counts of child abuse, according to jail records. Following Shamiya’s death, Singleton is now facing a murder charge as well, WOOD TV and FOX 17 reported.

During a court appearance on Tuesday, before the murder charge, a judge entered a not guilty plea for her, the AP reported. Attorney and plea information for the murder charge were not immediately available. Grand Rapids police did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for information.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.