Mother Charged In Connection With Fire That Killed Her 5 Children

The mother of five children who were killed in an apartment fire back in August was charged Wednesday with five counts of child endangerment.

Charging documents said the children had been left without adult supervision, which was a proximate cause of their deaths, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

According to the East St. Louis Fire Department, the fire happened in an apartment building located in the 500 block of 29th Street in East St. Louis, Illinois on Aug. 6.

It started after the mother, Sabrina M. Dunigan, went to pick up another adult from work around 3:45 a.m.

The fire broke out while children between the ages of 1 and 9 were inside. Four of the children were pronounced dead at the scene and the fifth later died at the hospital.

Relatives identified the children as: 20-month-old Loy’El, 4-year-old Jabari, 8-year-old twins Nevaeh and Heaven and 9-year-old Dontae.

Conflicting reports regarding the incident began to arise when Dunigan’s father, Greg Dunigan spoke with St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“Why are they trying to do this to her?” Greg Dunigan said. “She done lost all she can lose already. Why they want to take the rest away, meaning herself? She don’t have nothing left.” 

Court documents say that the children were left alone but her father says he was suppose to be watching the children.

Greg Dunigan said he and his wife lived in a separate part of the apartment and were supposed to be watching the children when Sabrina Dunigan left to pick up her boyfriend from work.

He repeated that account again Thursday, but added, “It just so happened we fell asleep.” He and his wife jumped from the apartment’s second floor to escape. The family of eight was staying in the one-bedroom apartment, Greg Dunigan said.

Sabrina Dunigan had returned home that day, her birthday, to find her apartment filled with smoke and fire. She said she suffered burns on her arms and feet trying to reach her children but couldn’t save them. 

Court documents accuse the 34-year old mother of knowingly causing or permitting her children to be placed in dangerous circumstances.

Child endangerment is a Class 3 felony and she could face up to five years in prison per count.

Dunigan’s bond was set at $75,000. She is currently no longer in custody.