Share this @internewscast.com
Dakota Rae Jones, Wyatt Duchette, and the aftermath of the fire that took the 8-year-old’s life (WOIO screenshots)
An Ohio mother, charged with the death of her 8-year-old son in a house fire and the injury of his 10-year-old stepbrother, has admitted guilt to charges of child endangerment and attempted child endangerment, as per Huron County records.
In a deal with prosecutors, Dakota Rae Jones, 33, had the involuntary manslaughter charges against her dismissed. On March 10, she received a sentence of five years of community control. The probation department will also determine the manner in which she will serve her 90-day jail sentence, which could include house arrest.
The Ohio State Fire Marshals concluded that the fire on June 7, 2023, was accidental, reported WOIO, the Cleveland CBS affiliate. Jones was not present in the home at the time of the fire.
She reportedly told police she had stepped out briefly to go to the bank and returned to see her house in flames. Both of her sons were in the house at the time.
A Huron County grand jury eventually indicted her.
Jones was noticeably snippy with authorities as they arrested her Dec. 11, 2023, as one of the officers asked about taking her phone.
“Um, I’m going to use it to call my mother and stuff, and my lawyer too, so –” she said.
She repeatedly told authorities to “get it over with” in taking her away.
“No, he already knows what’s going on,” she said, calling out to someone as officers escorted her. Then, to no one in particular, “Just let’s go. Get it over with. Come on.”
Court documents from March 11 show, however, that the court determined that she was sincerely remorseful and complied with certain conditions, such as cooperating with pretrial services, and is currently in treatment.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
