'Getting high during the fire': Mom who fell asleep while cooking, causing grease fire that killed her two children tested positive for fentanyl, police say

A parent has been arrested successful effect to a grease fire that took the lives of 2 of her children past autumn – and the details presented by authorities allege  negligence led to the tragedy.

Rodreika Porter, 34, was arrested by Ahoskie Police Department officers connected Thursday and charged by the Raleigh Police Department connected 2 counts of felony kid neglect inflicting superior bodily injury. Ahoskie is located astir 2 hours eastbound of Raleigh, the superior of North Carolina, suggesting Porter had moved since the fire.

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At astir 6 a.m. connected Sept. 29, 2024, firefighters and constabulary officers arrived astatine the 1800 Block of Cantwell Court successful Raleigh owed to reports of a location fire. A 1-year-old miss and 4-year-old lad were wrong the residence astatine the clip of the occurrence and were pronounced dormant aft being transported to a adjacent hospital.

The details that emerged successful the consequent months helped constabulary physique a lawsuit against Porter.

The parent was not location astatine the clip of the fire, according to tribunal records reviewed by Raleigh-based NBC affiliate WRAL, which included a witnesser connection to constabulary that said she was "up the artifact getting precocious during the fire."

Additionally, portion Porter denied astatine the country taking drugs oregon medicine successful the lead-up to the fire, a societal idiosyncratic reportedly said the parent "tested affirmative for fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana," and whitethorn besides person drunk alcohol, authorities say.

And portion Porter was reportedly not astatine location arsenic the occurrence raged, a hunt warrant reviewed by the outlet suggests she is the 1 who caused it – arsenic "the parent of the children was heating a cookware with lipid to navigator pork chops, but fell asleep, leaving the stove on."

The nonstop series of events are unclear, arsenic the warrant besides states Porter was awakened by fume from the grease occurrence – casting uncertainty connected however she could person been "up the block."

What appears to beryllium undisputed, however, is that the parent – wherever she was – noticed the fire, grabbed her children and went outside, knocking connected neighbors' doors and screaming for help, authorities say.

Neighbors shared with WRAL astatine the clip however they were awakened to a harrowing scene.

"The dormant of nighttime – we conscionable perceive banging, banging, banging, banging, banging, banging and screaming. We aftermath up, we travel outside, she comes astir the corner, and the pistillate is conscionable holding her children," an unidentified witnesser stated. "They're lifeless."

Porter is not person needed aesculapian attraction from the fire, according to authorities.