Maybe the mother should be charged with neglect, huh?

WBNG:

The man accused of setting fire to a Johnson City home in October pleaded not guilty to all charges in Broome County Court on Monday.

During his arraignment, Dwight D. Burton, 38, of Johnson City pleaded not guilty to the following charges:

– Arson in the first degree
– Murder in the first degree (three counts)
– Murder in the second degree (two counts)
– Attempted murder in the second degree
– Assault in the first degree (two counts)
– Aggravated criminal contempt

His charges are related to the fire he allegedly started on Oct. 19 at 145 Floral Ave. in Johnson City. Four-year-old Joshua Maxwell and three-year-old Michael Maxwell were killed in the fire.

The boys’ mother, 27-year-old Erica Lynn and her friend, 28-year-old Jessica Baxter, were seriously injured in the fire. On Monday, Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse told Action News Erica Lynn had been released from the hospital and Jessica Baxter was in fair condition.

In Court on Monday, Burton signed two orders of protection in court on Monday, for Lynn and Baxter.

A community is grieving after two children died in a house fire early Monday morning.

Johnson City Firefighters were called to 145 Floral Avenue at 1:58 a.m. where a fire had engulfed a multi-family home.

According to WBNG-TV, two children were trapped on the third floor and were taken to UHS Wilson Hospital where they later died.

“It took them a while cause they had to put the fire out to get to the third floor, so it delayed their time to get up there,” Johnson City Fire Chief Rob Jacyna told WBNG.

The children’s parents were able to escape the fire, but not without suffering severe burns. They were transported to a burn unit in Syracuse.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, but, according to WBNG, investigators suspect it may be arson.

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