Mom arrested after her two young daughters died in fire

Authorities on Friday arrested the mom of two young girls killed in a fire last weekend, saying her negligence led to the children’s deaths.

The fire victims, Sofia Melendez, 5, and Abigail Espinoza, 5 months, died on Oct. 13 when their third-floor apartment caught fire in Pompano Beach.

Jeny Yosselin Melendez-Ramirez, 22, told Broward sheriff ’s detectives she went to work that day and left her 16-year-old sister, Saydi Melendez, baby-sitting her two daughters, as well as her 2-year-old son.

But Saydi told the Sheriff’s Office that her sister had told her to take the 2-year-old boy with her on a trip to Walmart to get baby food, which meant leaving the two girls in the apartment.

About 9:30 a.m. that day, neighbors at the Banyan Club apartments at 1830 N.E. 48th St. called for help after seeing smoke coming from Apartment 314. Firefighters put out the fire and found the two girls’ bodies inside the apartment.

Sheriff’s detectives and special agents with Homeland Security Investigations arrested Melendez-Ramirez on Friday afternoon during a traffic stop off West McNab Road in Pompano Beach. She was held on two counts of aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Melendez-Ramirez’s teen sister and her 2-year-old child were placed in state custody.

Authorities are still looking into what caused the fire, among other parts of the investigation.

Anyone with information about the case may call sheriff ’s Detective John Curcio at 954-321-4210. Or tipsters may call Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 954-493-8477.