COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A mother may be charged with homicide in the Colorado Springs fire death of her 1-year-old daughter, according to MyFOXColorado.com.
Maria Joseph, 25, was discovered about a block away from the house at Montbello Drive and Academy Boulevard while firefighters were battling the blaze, which broke out about 10 p.m. Monday, MyFOXColorado reported.
Four children survived the fire, three of them reportedly in critical condition Tuesday, but a 1-year-old girl died at the scene.
Police Lt. Skip Arms said a 3-year-old girl, an 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy were in critical condition. A 5-year-old boy was listed as "guarded." The 3- and 8-year-olds were taken to The Children's Hospital in the Denver suburb of Aurora. The other two were at Memorial Central Hospital in Colorado Springs.
The 1-year-old girl was identified as Ashia M. Joseph. Names of the surviving children had not been released.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. The fire was reported at about 10 p.m. on Monday when someone from inside the house called 911, Arms said. When police arrived, the house was filled with smoke but there was no fire, he said.
Joseph, who is under police guard, suffered only minor injuries and was believed to have left the scene of the fire, according to media reports.
Police said they were investigating the baby's death as a homicide and might have enough evidence to charge Joseph.
The children's father, Simeon Joseph, committed suicide at the house in October, according to authorities.
Click here for more on this story from MyFOXColorado.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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