Woman charged with death of her baby

The woman who allegedly left her children locked in a house, after which it caught fire, was charged with manslaughter last Friday.

Tamara Lavia, whose New Montrose home was severely damaged by a fire which left her youngest, an eight-month-old, dead, on January 26, had previously been charged with two counts of abandonment.

Lavia was charged that she did abandon Simrique Lavia (eight months) and Simonique Lavia (18 months), both being children under the age of two, on January 29.

At the Serious Offences Court, a week after the fire that destroyed her home and took the life of her youngest child, Lavia was brought back to court to be charged with manslaughter in replacement of the abandonment charge of Simrique Lavia.

The prosecutor stated in court that the other children were currently in the welfare of the State.

The mother, who had previously been remanded, was granted bail of $45,000, with one surety, by Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias, with stop orders placed against her and her travel documents suspended.

Lavia hid her face from reporters outside the court building.(KR)