Mom Charged in Fire that Killed Boy

Tiana Wallace left son unattended in apartment, prosecutors say

Felony charges have been filed and an arrest warrant issued for the mother of a 4-year-old boy who died during a fire in their Joliet housing complex earlier this month.

The arrest warrant carried a $175,000 bond on Tiana Wallace, 25, who has been charged with child endangerment in connection with the April 7 fire.

That morning, fire crews responding to the complex, at 316 N. Bluff St., in Joliet, found Omariya Dishman unresponsive in a first-floor bedroom.  Wallace, who is wheelchair bound, was said to have fled the apartment before firefighters arrived.

Authorities said faulty wiring in the room where Dishman was found may have started the fire.  An autopsy showed that he died of smoke inhalation.

Wallace left the boy unattended in the apartment, willfully putting him at risk, prosecutors said in a press release.  Endangering the life or health of a child is a Class 3 felony that carries up to five years in prison upon conviction.

Wallace is also being investigated for allegations of neglect by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services.
 
Anyone with information about Wallace’s whereabouts should call the Joliet police Investigations Division at 815-724-3020 or Crime Stoppers of Will County at 800-323-6734

Copyright CHIST - SunTimes
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