AL mother charged with murder after fire that killed four-month-old

PHENIX CITY, AL (WTVM) - A Phenix City mother has been taken into custody in connection to an apartment fire that killed an infant.

Ashley Nicole King was arrested and charged with capital murder.

First responders received the call of a fire at Cloverleaf Apartments in the 2800 Stadium Dr. at approximately 10:14 a.m. on Apr. 24.

“Fire crews, during the primary search, did in fact locate an infant in the left rear bedroom, removed the infant from the structure immediately. CPR was started,“ said Phenix City Fire Chief Kristen Kennedy.

Phenix City police say King lived in the apartment with her boyfriend, who was not the child’s father, and her brother, though her name was not on the lease.

The four-month-old boy was taken to Piedmont Columbus Regional for treatment of burn injuries and was later pronounced dead.

Kennedy says if it were not for the maintenance crew to getting to the fire first it could have been a lot deadlier.

“They tried to enter the structure, but the fire was too great for them at the time," said Kennedy. “They immediately went around to the rear of the apartment in that bedroom and began using fire extinguishers.”

Investigators found that the fire was deliberately set and established King as a suspect.

Neither of the men were home at the time of the fire.

King had a preliminary hearing where she was denied bond. Attorney Jeremy Armstrong was appointed to represent her.

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