ARLINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — What started as a quiet June afternoon in a rural Rush County neighborhood ended in heartbreak after a 7-year-old boy died in a house fire.

Now, the mother faces multiple felony charges for her son’s death and for endangering her three other children.

• Rush County mother charged for house fire that killed her 7-year-old child

It happened in the afternoon of June 5.

Investigators say 31-year-old Kirstin Bowers left the home and walked away at the time of the fire, leaving four children by themselves.

She originally told police she helped the three kids get out, but couldn’t get to the fourth – but investigators say surveillance video and witness statements contradict her story.

News 8 spoke who with Nicholas Land, a neighbor who not only witnessed the fire, but gave aid to the woman and her children who escaped.

He says there was some suspicion immediately.

“Like, why? Why couldn’t you get all four kids out at the same time? But you don’t immediately try to point fingers,” he said.

Multiple fire departments in Rush County responded to the fire. Land says the flames were so intense, crews couldn’t enter immediately.

“The mom and three of her children were outside of the house. She was even saying one was inside the house,” he said. “They couldn’t find the child at first, so, an officer came to me and asked me to go look around and see if maybe the kid got out from the back door and maybe hid somewhere. I ran around the neighborhood trying to find the child, and unfortunately, didn’t have any luck.”

Deputies say 7-year-old David Bowers Jr. was found dead inside the home’s living room. His mother claims she fell asleep with a lit cigarette, and then woke up to find her bed on fire.

“The kids didn’t have any shoes on, so me and my wife supplied some shoes for them to keep their feet from getting hurt on the concrete. We helped them and tried to give them water, snacks, some entertainment and toys we had that we didn’t need,” said Land.

Bowers is now facing four charges, including neglect of a dependent resulting in death. She was already in jail on unrelated charges.

Land says the family was pretty normal besides the occasional noise complaint. The children’s father was at work at the time of the fire; the last time Land saw him was the day after.

“While he was out here, I came by and gave him a hug, told him I’m sorry again, and gave him a gift card to Goodwill to help them out. Try to get them back on their feet,” said Land.

Multiple agencies, including in the Rush County Sheriff’s Office, are investigating the case.

About The Author

See author's posts