Woman accused of starting fire that killed 5-year-old in Colorado apartment, cops say

A 5-year-old boy died in an apartment fire as his mother cried out and windows shattered in the flames, Colorado police said.

Now a woman has been arrested on murder and arson charges after she was accused of starting the fire, the Aurora Police Department said.

The fire broke out in a three-story apartment building in Aurora on Monday, Jan. 24, the fire department said. The building was engulfed in flames.

“The flames were everywhere,” Irving Sikkink, a 26-year-old who lives next to the apartment building, told The Denver Gazette. “Everyone was scared and panicking. People were losing their apartments and losing their lives.”

Firefighters found the 5-year-old boy inside. He was quickly taken to the hospital, but he died from his injuries, police said.

Neighbors told The Denver Post they heard his mother screaming “my baby!” as the fire quickly moved across the building.

“That scream from the mother,” neighbor Jazmine Murray told the newspaper. “That really got me.”

Nine people were injured in the fire, and three were taken to the hospital, according to Aurora Fire Rescue. At least 31 people have been displaced.

Police said they believe 37-year-old Alondra Michel was involved with starting the fire after a “domestic violence incident” with a resident on the main level of the building.

“Alondra intentionally set something inside of the apartment on fire, which quickly spread to adjacent units, including the second story apartment where the 5-year-old was found,” police said in a news release. “This investigation is now being considered a homicide.”

Michel was arrested on charges of first degree murder and first-degree arson, police said. She was also charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder.

This story was originally published January 25, 2022 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Woman accused of starting fire that killed 5-year-old in Colorado apartment, cops say."