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

Mar. 15, 2025

Shamiya Stewart.Photo:GoFundMe

GoFundMe

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, theAssociated Pressreported. Her siblings, a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old, both survived.

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 13and FOX 17 reported.

Roconda Singleton.Michigan Department of Corrections

Michigan Department of Corrections

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.

“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 aGoFundMeset 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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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.

source: people.com