Pennsylvania Mother Denied Bail After Fire Kills 3 Children Left Alone in Erie Apartment

Prosecutors allege a 22-year-old Erie woman left her three young children unattended for nearly an hour before a fire broke out inside the family’s apartment, killing all three siblings.

Haika Mrema

Published: 5/12/2026, 11:40:25 PM EDT

Pennsylvania Mother Denied Bail After Fire Kills 3 Children Left Alone in Erie Apartment — Police tape in a file photo. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

A Pennsylvania mother accused of leaving her three children alone before a fatal apartment fire has been denied bail as prosecutors move forward with homicide-related charges tied to the deaths of the siblings in Erie.

Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz announced that 22-year-old Danozjna Shalita Marjie Williams was arrested in connection with the March 29 fire at an apartment on East 26th Street that killed three children who were inside at the time.

According to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Williams is charged with third-degree murder, endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person.

Authorities said the fire was reported shortly before 4:30 p.m. at 535 1/2 E. 26th Street. Police allege Williams left the children home unsupervised for approximately 50 minutes. A preliminary arraignment was held May 8, where Williams was denied bail.

“This is a heartbreaking, but completely preventable tragedy,” Hirz said in a statement. “The evidence shows these young children were left without supervision in a situation where they needed their mother to protect them and keep them safe. That duty was abandoned, with devastating consequences.”

According to Erie Firefighters IAFF Local 293, crews were dispatched at approximately 4:23 p.m. to the reported structure fire. Firefighters arriving at the scene encountered heavy smoke and flames and carried out three rescues under what the union described as “extremely challenging conditions.”

The firefighters’ union initially reported that two victims died from their injuries while a third child was flown to UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in critical condition. That child later died at five months old on April 3, according to an obituary.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy,” the union said in a social media statement. “We also ask that you keep our first responders in your thoughts as they continue to serve our community during difficult moments like this.”

Firefighters Initially Struggled To Enter the Apartment

Court documents cited by Erie News Now state firefighters initially struggled to enter the apartment because a mattress blocked a stairwell and a couch obstructed a doorway at the top of the stairs. Crews ultimately entered through another door and found the children inside a bedroom. No adults were inside the apartment at the time, according to investigators.

Investigators allege Williams initially told police she had been gone for about five minutes to purchase blinds at Walmart. However, authorities said surveillance footage did not place her at nearby Walmart stores during that period.

Instead, investigators said phone records, traffic cameras, and recorded jail calls indicated Williams traveled toward Corry, Pennsylvania, in connection with a planned purchase of heroin or fentanyl.

The fire is believed to have originated in the apartment’s second-floor kitchen, though officials said the cause remains under investigation.

A GoFundMe campaign created by family friend Achia Crosby has raised more than $16,000 to assist with burial expenses for the children. In the fundraiser description, Crosby said she organized the effort “as a mother, as a human with a heart, and as a helping hand,” adding that the children’s mother had suffered an “unfathomable, irreplaceable loss.”