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A Michigan mother has been arrested after allegedly setting her home ablaze — intentionally leaving her three children trapped inside.
Over the weekend, 46-year-old Roconda Singleton was taken into police custody, according to Kent County online court records, after a disastrous fire erupted in her Grand Rapids home. But police say it was no accident — they instead claim it was Roconda who started the fire to kill her three children inside!
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According to FOX 17, the mother set fire to the home on Saturday morning — after removing seven fire detectors from the house and hiding them outside. Why? They think it was to keep the children sleeping for as long as possible as the fire grew.
That’s so EVIL!
Per court records obtained by multiple outlets, Roconda admitted to standing outside watching the flames consume the home as she heard the three children screaming for help inside once they woke up.
Thankfully things didn’t go totally according to her plan. A stranger stepped in and helped the three kids escape. Two of the children, a 10- and 7-year-old, only sustained minor injuries. Tragically, however, her 12-year-old daughter Shamiya Stewart sustained burns to 30 percent of her body. She died two days later on Monday, according to a GoFundMe.
(c) Patricia Robinson/GoFundMeThe fundraiser reads:
“On Saturday, January 25, 2025, Lyn O’Brian Stewart received a call that no parent ever wants to receive. The house was on fire and his three daughters were inside. Their mother knocked down all the smoke detectors, doused the house with lighter fluid, and ignited the fire.
The quick thinking of Shamiya’s ten-year-old sister, who grabbed her younger sister and jumped to safety, is the reason they are still here, while Shamiya, who was asleep during the fire, succumbed to her injuries.
Shamiya suffered burns on over 30% of her body. Shamiya was a fighter from the day she was born and fought to the very end. Shamiya was born weighing less than two pounds and spent the first four months of her life in the NICU. She grew to be a loving young lady who loved music, loved to dance, and loved her electronics. Shamiya also loved her dad and her siblings. She was truly a daddy’s girl.
All donations will go directly to Shamiya’s father and siblings to help cover burial expenses, legal fees, care for the surviving siblings, and other necessary costs as they navigate this heartbreaking experience.
No amount of money can take away the pain and devastation they are going through, but your support can help provide some relief during this difficult time.”
That is SO devastating.
According to FOX 17, authorities later found all seven fire detectors stowed away in a pillowcase in the backyard. All of them were ringing. Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said in a statement:
“This is a shockingly cruel, unimaginable crime committed by a mom against her three kids.”
Fire Chief Brad Brown added on Monday that the girls’ screams “will live on in our heads for the rest of our lives.”
So shockingly horrible.
Roconda appeared in court on Tuesday without a lawyer, where she faced arson and child abuse charges. A felony murder charge was also tacked on for the death of the 12-year-old. According to court docs obtained by WOOD TV, she admitted to setting the fire:
“Singleton stated she used lighter fluid and a lighter and started the fire in the bathroom on the second floor. 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.”
Prosecutor Chris Becker claimed mental health issues likely played a role in the sinister plan, citing a treatment center Roconda was checked into last year. The girls’ father Lyn told reporters:
“It’s hard. It’s hard for me. Just keep the family in prayer, please. That’s all I can say.”
Absolutely devastating. You can visit the GoFundMe HERE.
Our hearts are with the Stewart family. Rest in peace, Shamiya.
[Images via Michigan Department of Corrections]
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