Investigators believe that a Minneapolis mother was not at home when a house fire took the lives of her three children, reports kare11.com (http://kare11.tv/1WYf9yp)
In a search warrant filed to obtain the cell phone records of Taneisha Y. Stewart, Sergeant Sean McKenna of the Minneapolis Arson Unit says Stewart had no soot or a noticeable smell of smoke when police arrived on the fire scene at 2755 Penn Avenue North shortly before midnight on October 3. What they did smell was a strong presence of alcohol. McKenna adds that Stewart also showed no sign of smoke inhalation, despite her claim that she was sleeping on the first floor and awoke to find the home ablaze.
In the warrant McKenna he states that he believes that Stewart was not home at the time of the fire, and calls the lack of a “competent adult” inside the home with three young children under the age of seven a factor in their deaths.
Stewart told KARE 11 the day after the fire that she did everything she could to rescue her kids.
Six-year-old Latorious, 5-year-old Latora and 1-year-old Latorianna Stewart perished in the fire. It is believed the fire was caused by the oven, which was being used to heat the home as the furnace was out of service. While investigators say the fire did start in the home’s kitchen, the official cause of the fire is undetermined.
