Cape Girardeau woman charged after house fire
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — A Cape Girardeau woman has been charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child following a residential fire Saturday night.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court, emergency responders were dispatched to a house fire at approximately 10:52 p.m. June 6. Upon arrival, officers observed smoke coming from the residence and began preparing to search the home after receiving reports that children might still be inside.
Authorities later learned the children had exited the residence before officers entered. Fire personnel determined the blaze originated from a toaster oven that had been left on while food was cooking.
Investigators said witnesses reported that Jamala Caprice Handy left the residence around 9 p.m. to go to a gas station, leaving four juvenile children unattended inside the home.
Prosecutors allege Handy knowingly left the children in a residence with an active cooking appliance, creating a substantial risk to their safety. Court documents state the children were placed in immediate danger of serious physical injury or death when the home caught fire.
Handy is charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
A charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
