MILWAUKEE – A Wisconsin mom accused of locking three of her small children in a bedroom and leaving them unattended hours before they died in a fire had twice been warned by authorities not to leave them alone, according to court documents.
Angelica D. Belen, 24, made an initial court appearance Wednesday on three felony charges of child neglect resulting in death. A Milwaukee County court commissioner imposed a cash bond of $500,000.
Her 5-year-old daughter, Nayeli Colon, and 4-year-old twin sons, Adrian and Alexis Colon, died in a fire Thursday at their West Allis home. Belen told investigators she left the kids alone to start a new job and that she bolted their bedroom door shut because she didn’t want them wrecking the house or getting outside where neighbors could see they were unattended.
She said she knew she wasn’t supposed to leave the kids alone but she needed to go to work and couldn’t find a babysitter, the criminal complaint said.
Belen’s public defender, Reyna Morales, declined to comment on the case.