Three days before Christmas and the only decorations outside this Englewood home are flowers, cards and teddy bears in memory of the two toddlers killed in an early morning house fire.
A hot plate being used to heat the home is reportedly to blame. The youngsters were apparently home without any adults -- just two other kids who were only a little bit older.
"Had I would have known they were home alone with a hot plate, they could have stayed over here. I would have housed them overnight, all they had to do is ask," said Jacqueline Smith, a neighbor.
The young boy and girl killed in the fire were cousins - the little girl's older brothers, ages 4 and 7 were also home but survived.
"I saw a lot of smoke and I heard a loud explosion," said Isaac Smith.
"We believe we know what the cause is we're doing some final testing to make sure we know the exact cause but this right now has become a police matter due to the fact that the children were alone," said Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Jose Santiago.
The mother and aunt who left the children without supervision are being interviewed by police but have not been charged.
Just blocks away at the Englewood District Police Station, Santa greeted several families receiving gifts, food and holiday cheer.
The toy delivery was hosted by Latonya Harris' The Blessed Child Organization - Harris heard about the deadly fire first thing Saturday morning.
"I've signed up so many children through the Englewood area and the first thing I did was ran to my list and oh my God that address sounds familiar - were they on my list? They were not on my list but it just makes your heart hurt that they had to do that to keep warm and then a tragedy came behind that," said Harris.
Saturday, May 25 2013 10:50 AM EDT2013-05-25 14:50:09 GMT
The tornado that struck Oklahoma on Monday took a devastating toll in the number of lives lost and property destroyed. But amidst the anguish and destruction there is another heart-wrenching tragedy.
The tornado that struck Oklahoma on Monday took a devastating toll in the number of lives lost and property destroyed. But amidst the anguish and destruction there is another "heart-wrenching" tragedy -- displaced pets.
Monday, February 25 2013 1:41 PM EST2013-02-25 18:41:37 GMT
Just as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane set his sights on a variety of targets with a mixture of hits and misses, the motion picture academy spread the gold around to a varied slate of films.
Just as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane set his sights on a variety of targets with a mixture of hits and misses, the motion picture academy spread the gold around to a varied slate of films.
Saturday, May 25 2013 6:40 PM EDT2013-05-25 22:40:54 GMT
As it waits to hear if it'll receive a $7 million bailout to stay open, Roseland Community Hospital laid off almost 70 employees, and other hospital employees will take a pay cut.
As it waits to hear if it'll receive a $7 million bailout to stay open, Roseland Community Hospital laid off almost 70 employees, and other hospital employees will take a pay cut.
Saturday, May 25 2013 6:27 PM EDT2013-05-25 22:27:07 GMT
Portage Theater owner Eddie Carranza said the doors to the historic movie palace will stay closed for several months, or at least until he can transfer a license to a new operator.
Portage Theater owner Eddie Carranza said the doors to the historic movie palace will stay closed for several months, or at least until he can transfer a license to a new operator.
Saturday, May 25 2013 11:04 AM EDT2013-05-25 15:04:24 GMT
City residents sick of coupons piling up on their front doorsteps filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month urging the Chicago Tribune and Valassis Communications to stop distributing the mailings.
City residents sick of coupons piling up on their front doorsteps filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month urging the Chicago Tribune and Valassis Communications to stop distributing the mailings on their properties.
Saturday, May 25 2013 10:50 AM EDT2013-05-25 14:50:09 GMT
The tornado that struck Oklahoma on Monday took a devastating toll in the number of lives lost and property destroyed. But amidst the anguish and destruction there is another heart-wrenching tragedy.
The tornado that struck Oklahoma on Monday took a devastating toll in the number of lives lost and property destroyed. But amidst the anguish and destruction there is another "heart-wrenching" tragedy -- displaced pets.
Saturday, May 25 2013 10:18 AM EDT2013-05-25 14:18:44 GMT
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of an Aurora attorney who died of medical complications following a 2012 single-engine plane crash in Florida.
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of an Aurora attorney who died of medical complications following a 2012 single-engine plane crash in Florida.
Friday, May 24 2013 11:00 PM EDT2013-05-25 03:00:57 GMT
An Evanston high school varsity baseball team will not play in the playoff tournament this weekend after a group of students, including team members, allegedly "sexted" risque photos to each other.
An Evanston high school varsity baseball team will not play in the playoff tournament this weekend after a group of students, including team members, allegedly "sexted" risque photos to each other.
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