***WISH-TV COPY***
Network Indiana Release
ARLINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — The Rush County Sheriff’s Office says that a mother, who is already sitting in jail, is responsible for setting a fire that killed her son and put her three other children in danger.
In a press release Monday afternoon, the Rush County Sheriff’s Office says they arrested Kirstin Bowers, 31, for three felonies of neglect of a dependent, one resulting in death.
Bowers is already in the Shelby County Jail for three unrelated charges of invasion of privacy.
June 5, firefighters rushed to a house fire in the 2000 block of North County Road 700 West. The house was already fully engulfed in the flames by the time first responders arrived.
A 7-year-old boy, David Bowers Jr., could not be saved by firefighters and died in the fire.
During the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office says there were “numerous suspicious circumstances observed.”
At the time of the fire, Bowers told police she fell asleep in bed with a lit cigarette, “awakening to the bed being on fire.” Bowers said she got three of her children out one-by-one, but the intense fire and smoke stopped her from rescuing Bowers Jr.
Surveillance footage and witness statements revealed to investigators that Bowers left the residence “and walked several blocks from the residence during the suspected time of the fire,” the Sheriff’s Office says. “This left four small children inside the residence.”
Three of the children escaped on their own, but Bowers Jr. was unable to get out.
“This is a tragic event for our community, and especially for the town of Arlington, which has faced several heartbreaking incidents in recent years. Our agency would be remiss not to recognize the heroic efforts of the fire personnel from multiple departments–many of whom are volunteers. Their bravery and selflessness on that day deserve our deepest gratitude and highest commendation,” Detective Randy Meek with the Rush County Sheriff’s Office said.
Bowers Jr. is the first juvenile to die in a fire this year in Indiana.
