Toronto mom charged with murder after baby dies in house fire: police

A 19-year-old mother has been charged with murder after her baby died in a house fire in Toronto last week, police say.

Firefighters were called to the home on Trethewey Drive, just north of Eglinton Avenue, shortly after 1 a.m. on Oct. 25.

Police said the 19-year-old and her four-month-old daughter were pulled from the residence. Images from the scene showed smoke billowing out of the house as firefighters climbed onto the roof.

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Toronto Fire said several occupants of the home were already outside when they had arrived.

Officers said the baby was rushed to the hospital with no vital signs and died at the hospital.

The mother, they add, was sent to the hospital with serious injuries. Toronto Paramedic Services said they assessed four other patients at the scene.

On Thursday, Toronto police identified the accused as Toronto-resident Kathrynn Quita Batugal, who is also facing an arson charge. A TPS spokesperson confirmed Batugal was the baby's mother. The charges have not been tested in court.

Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop told reporters last Friday that there were as many as six people inside the home when the fire ignited – but the cause of the fire remains unclear.

"The bulk of the fire was at the rear of the house, but I'm not going to speculate on the origin or the cause of the fire at this time. That will form part of the investigation," Jessop said then.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from Joshua Freeman