A 6-month-old boy is believed to be dead after his mother was killed in a tragic house fire in Alabama.
The blaze started on Monday at 5:30 a.m. at a home on Freedom Court in the Ladonia community of Phenix City.
Captain Darrell Lassiter with the Phenix City Police Department told Newsweek they believe a 6-month-old boy died in the blaze. Lassiter confirmed that the child’s mother, 23-year-old Hanna Fretwell, died in the fire as well.
“The body of Hanna was found at the scene,” Lassiter told Newsweek. “We know the child was present and found what appear to be remains that have been sent for further testing.”
Hanna Fretwell/Facebook
Lassiter said police detained two people for questioning but they were later released. No arrests have been made in connection with the fire.
The fire was contained within several hours.
Details are limited as the Phenix City Police Department and the state fire marshal’s office are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.
Newsweek reached out to the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office for more information.
Neighbor Karen Turk told WTVM that two other men were residing in the house on Freedom Court. It is unclear if they were home at the time of the fire.
“I wasn’t sure who was still there, who got out. I didn’t even know who all still lived here,” Turk said.
The news comes several weeks after the community was rocked by a fatal shooting. Christopher Justin Womack, 22, was charged with capital murder after his father, 52-year-old Christopher B. Womack, was found dead at The District at Phenix City apartment complex on June 14, WTVM reported.
Authorities are still investigating the incident and they said more charges are expected to be filed.
Another Phenix City resident was arrested and charged with capital murder last month. Jeffrey Aaron Spurlock, 42, was arrested on May 25 for allegedly shooting and killing Jacob Sanes, 34, outside of Aces Grill & Bar on U.S. Highway 80, WRBL reported.
Phenix City is a city located about 80 miles east of Montgomery. The city lies along the Chattahoochee River and has a population of over 38,000. The city spans 28 square miles. Some parts of the city are in Lee County, while the other part is in Russell County. It is the only city in Alabama that observes Eastern Time, while the rest of the state observes Central Time.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.