Old Bridge woman charged after four children left home alone found in apartment on fire
OLD BRIDGE - A 31-year-old township woman has been charged with child endangerment after she allegedly left four children unattended early Sunday when a fire started in a Cottonwood Lane apartment.
Two of the children suffered injuries in the fire.
Estela Onofre-Maceda, who was charged with seven counts of endangering the welfare of a child, was arrested Sunday and is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center in North Brunswick pending a pre-trial detention hearing, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said.
Onofre-Maceda also allegedly left three children unattended in the apartment overnight earlier that same weekend. She is the mother of some of the children, according to the prosecutor's office.
Around 6:40 a.m. Sunday police received a 911 call about a fire in an apartment on Cottonwood Lane.
When police arrived they found four children who had been left in the apartment unattended. Two of the children were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for treatment of injuries. Information about the extent of the children's injuries and their condition was not immediately available.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Middlesex County Fire Marshal and Old Bridge Township Fire Officials.
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An investigation by Old Bridge Detective Anthony Mottola and Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit Detective Daniela Castro found that Onofre- Maceda allegedly left four juveniles unattended during the early morning hours of June 25 when the fire started.
The investigation also found Onofre-Maceda allegedly left three juveniles unattended on the night of June 23 into the early morning hours of June 24.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Old Bridge Detective Mottola at 732-721-5600 Ext. 3232 or Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Detective Castro at 732-745-3652.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Old Bridge woman accused of leaving children unattended in apartment fire
