Oregon mother sentenced after failing to save son, 4, from house fire
SALEM, Ore. - An Oregon woman who pleaded guilty to manslaughter after authorities say she failed to help her 4-year-old son who died in an apartment fire has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The Statesman Journal reports Keizer Police Detective Chris Nelson said that 24-year-old Niya Breann Sosa-Martinez could see her son through the flames and had the opportunity to go save him, but didn't.
Nelson said Sosa-Martinez didn't know why she didn't go back in and was panicking.
Detectives later discovered burn marks consistent with marijuana paraphernalia. Sosa-Martinez had claimed that her son started the October fire by knocking over a candle.
The Keizer woman had been on probation in a child neglect case at the time.
She apologized to her family in court Wednesday.