Instead of celebrating a birthday, family mourns 3 siblings killed in fire
On what would have been Latorianna Thomas' second birthday, the toddler's family came together to mourn.
Latorianna died early Sunday morning along with her 6-year-old brother Latorious and her sister Latoria, 5, in a house fire in north Minneapolis. Fire officials said they've been unable to pinpoint the cause of the fire.
The Rev. Harding Smith of the Spiritual Church of God in Robbinsdale prayed with the children's parents Antonio Thomas and Taneisha Stewart.
"The Lord said if you're going to share in my glory, then you will have to share in my sufferings," he said. "And these are some of the sufferings that we bear. We know that these kids are in a better place. They are in a place right now where there is no pain, no tears, no sorrow. And we're going to continue to pray with you and stay with you."
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After the memorial service the children's uncle, Mellow Stewart, recalled how he would visit the kids when his work scheduled allowed. He said the youngest, Latorianna, was a delightful little girl who was always excited to see him.
"She'd be talking to anyone. She's always happy, she's energized. She'd have a lot of energy," he said.
Jacqueline Cage, the children's grandmother, said the kids and their mother moved to Minneapolis from Chicago over the summer. Cage said Latorious immediately took a liking to first grade. She said Latoria — nicknamed Mama — had a lot in common with her big brother.
"When he first got in school up here he loved it. He always liked to draw. He'd say 'Grandma, can I draw and color?'" she said. "Mama too, she's 5 years old, she'd say the same thing. She'd like to draw and color. Most of the time she'd like to go outside and play with the kids."
Even with her family deep in mourning, Cage said she still threw a birthday party for Latorianna, something she did earlier in the year for the older children.
"I bought her a little outfit to let her know grandma hasn't forgotten about you," she said. "I will still do it every year. I bought her a Winnie the Pooh suit. It's cute."
Minneapolis fire officials say they may never know what caused the fatal fire late Saturday night at the family's home on Penn Avenue North.
Battalion Chief Bryan Tyner said the oven, which was found open, is the likely cause. But he said with the house heavily damaged, there's little evidence left for investigators to examine.
"When the whole home is collapsed and in shambles, often times it's hard to really sift through that and determine what the exact cause of the fire was," he said. "But sometimes it's not that we don't have any idea what the cause of the fire is, it's that we can't rule out everything else."
Tyner said with the cause of the fire undetermined, the investigation will remain open.
"If we do come across new evidence or witnesses or anything like that, we can follow up and change that determination," he said.
A funeral for the three children is set for Oct. 17. Smith says a donation fund for Stewart's family has been set up at Wells Fargo bank.
