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MEDINA, Ohio -
The Division of State Fire Marshal ruled Tuesday that a fatal fire in Medina was accidental. That determination was made after one of the children who escaped the blaze admitted to investigators that he lit a cigarette from a candle and then took it to his closet, where the fire started.
A spokesperson for the Division of State Fire Marshal tells Fox 8 News that the child's information is consistent with evidence that investigators found at the scene during their in-depth analysis.
The raging house fire late Sunday evening claimed the life of that child's 7-year-old sibling.
The blaze ignited just before midnight in the 200 block of West Smith Road in Medina. Neighbors called 911 after the two-story duplex started to go up in flames.
Jennifer Okoye and her five children were sleeping inside the second floor of the house. Okoye and four of her children, including the one who has claimed responsibility, were able to escape by jumping out second-story windows, but 7-year-old Tashawn Okoye was still trapped inside his bedroom.
Before firefighters arrived, one of the neighbors grabbed a ladder and helped officers with the rescue attempt. Medina Police Sgt. Nathan Simpson fought heavy smoke and flames to make his way inside the smoke-filled house. Unfortunately, by the time the boy was located, it was too late.
"The officer broke the window. He asked me where he was. He was right on the bunk bed. He never struggled or anything," said Jennifer Okoye.
According to a Medina Police Department spokesperson, Simpson was overcome with smoke. He also sustained cuts and burns to his hands and arms. He was taken to the Medina General Hospital, where he was treated and later released.
Even though the cause has been determined, the investigation continues.
Tashawn Okoye was a second-grader at Garfield Elementary School.
"He just wanted to be kissed and hugged. He loved attention, and I raised him like one of mine," Tashawn's babysitter, Monica Scott, told Fox 8 News.
"He was just really loving," Jennifer Okoye said.
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A friend of ther family tells Fox 8 News that a memorial fund in Tashawn's name has been set up at Fifth Third Bank.
A vigil in front of the badly damaged house will take place on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Calling hours will be Friday from 4-7 p.m. at Wade and Sons Funderal Home located at 765 North Street.
Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Second Baptist Church located at 451 Bronson Street.
(Fox 8's Elisa Amigo contributed to this report.)
A spokesperson for the Division of State Fire Marshal tells Fox 8 News that the child's information is consistent with evidence that investigators found at the scene during their in-depth analysis.
The raging house fire late Sunday evening claimed the life of that child's 7-year-old sibling.
The blaze ignited just before midnight in the 200 block of West Smith Road in Medina. Neighbors called 911 after the two-story duplex started to go up in flames.
Jennifer Okoye and her five children were sleeping inside the second floor of the house. Okoye and four of her children, including the one who has claimed responsibility, were able to escape by jumping out second-story windows, but 7-year-old Tashawn Okoye was still trapped inside his bedroom.
Before firefighters arrived, one of the neighbors grabbed a ladder and helped officers with the rescue attempt. Medina Police Sgt. Nathan Simpson fought heavy smoke and flames to make his way inside the smoke-filled house. Unfortunately, by the time the boy was located, it was too late.
"The officer broke the window. He asked me where he was. He was right on the bunk bed. He never struggled or anything," said Jennifer Okoye.
According to a Medina Police Department spokesperson, Simpson was overcome with smoke. He also sustained cuts and burns to his hands and arms. He was taken to the Medina General Hospital, where he was treated and later released.
Even though the cause has been determined, the investigation continues.
Tashawn Okoye was a second-grader at Garfield Elementary School.
"He just wanted to be kissed and hugged. He loved attention, and I raised him like one of mine," Tashawn's babysitter, Monica Scott, told Fox 8 News.
"He was just really loving," Jennifer Okoye said.
-----
A friend of ther family tells Fox 8 News that a memorial fund in Tashawn's name has been set up at Fifth Third Bank.
A vigil in front of the badly damaged house will take place on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Calling hours will be Friday from 4-7 p.m. at Wade and Sons Funderal Home located at 765 North Street.
Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Second Baptist Church located at 451 Bronson Street.
(Fox 8's Elisa Amigo contributed to this report.)
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