Children Were Locked Away For Months Before Brother Set Fire That Killed Girl: Report

LOGANVILLE, GA — The parents of the 15-year-old brother who started a house fire in Loganville that killed his sister, will be able to visit their other children despite their deplorable living conditions, reported WSB-TV.

The three remaining children are now with foster families while Gwinnett County police consider child abuse charges against the parents, reported WSB-TV. They will be allowed supervised visits twice a week.

According to the news station, a state worker shared at a court hearing Thursday that the children, who ranged in age from 8 to 17, were sometimes locked in their bedrooms for days or months, not allowed to see anyone, including each other. Food was very limited and the children were malnourished and had no medical or dental care.

Gwinnett County police said the house fire that killed a 10-year-old Loganville girl on Easter Sunday was set by her older brother. Police charged the boy with malice murder, felony murder and arson. He is being held in a regional youth detention facility, while his parents fight to keep custody of the remaining three.

Firefighters responded to the home on the 4400 block of Beaver Road SW near Old Loganville Road in unincorporated Loganville around 5 a.m. on April 17, according to a news release. The girl was found dead in a bedroom without a window, firefighters said, who continued to search for the brother for hours.

"Around 9 a.m., the 15-year-old was located away from the scene and appeared to be okay," firefighters said in the release.

Related:

• Gwinnett Investigators Look Into Home Where Fire Killed Girl: Report
• Girl, 10, Died In Loganville House Fire, Brother Charged: Police