A young girl is dead following an overnight blaze in Burlington County, New Jersey.
The fire broke out Wednesday shortly before midnight at a home on Seminole Trail in Pemberton Township.
A caller told police that four children had escaped while 7-year-old Lamiyah Graves was still trapped inside the home. Neighbors say they rushed to the house to try and save Lamiyah but were unable to get inside. By the time firefighters arrived, it was too late.
"A tragedy on all levels regardless of the time of the year," said Burlington County Prosecutor Ray Milavsky. "Anytime a child dies it's just a human tragedy."
Milavsky says Lamiyah's mother, Shirita Turner, 34, had taken public transportation to Philadelphia to help an older child obtain a car. Turner left her 14-year-old daughter in charge of the rest of the children, which prosecutors say is not illegal.
Investigators believe the fire began in the bedroom. While the four other children managed to escape, police believe Lamiyah was afraid and ran into a closet to escape the flames.
Milavsky says that Turner and her children are cooperating with authorities. At this point, no charges have been filed against Turner.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
