PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The mother of 3-year-old twin boys killed earlier this month in a fire at their North Braddock home is now facing charges in connection with the case.

Delawna Berran-Lett told authorities she left her 3-year-old twin sons, Kyier and Dyier Arthur, alone in her North Braddock home for 52 minutes to go look for her 15-year-old daughter.

While she was gone, the toddlers were killed in a fire. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala explained why the mother left the twins alone.

“That mother left that house with those two little kids in there because she was angry with her daughter, who is 15, because her daughter had taken some marijuana from her purse, and she was going to go find her,” said Zappala.

Zappala says the twins had started a fire there before trying to cook food.

Investigators say they believe the 3-year-olds turned the stove on, causing grease to ignite, and eventually sending the wood-framed house on Rebecca Street up in flames.

Zappala also questions the owner of the Section 8 property for not fixing the stove, which had been red tagged by the gas company, meaning it needed repairs.

“If the stove in and of itself was dangerous if used, and the fact that the owner of the property turned it on or was involved in the process of turning it on and that led to deaths of those children; absolutely, we could be looking at him for homicide charges,” Zappala said.

Berran-Lett will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children.

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2 Children Dead In North Braddock Fire (1/4/13)
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