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Last updated on Friday, December 13, 2013
(INDIANAPOLIS) - An Indianapolis mother who caused the fire that killed her 7-year-old son learned her sentence Thursday.
A judge sentenced Jessica Rogers to six years in prison with two years suspended. In effect, the sentence means four years in prison with two years probation after her release.
Last week, Rogers pleaded guilty to felony child neglect (Class C felony). She had originally faced charges of murder, neglect, arson and possession of cocaine.
She was arrested after a Dec. 8, 2012, fire that killed her son, Dreydon Webb. Investigators said she'd been trying to manufacture meth at the time of the fire. Her son was visiting her at the time at a small apartment building in the 1800 block of West Washington Street.
When the fire broke out, Rogers managed to escape, but her son remained inside. According to the probable cause affidavit, when police asked Rogers why she left her son alone inside, she stated "the fire was too hot" and "I couldn't stand the heat, it felt like acid was burning me."
She then said she tried to get her son to safety, stating that "she had a hold of him twice." When asked how the boy got away, Rogers said he got loose because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Police informed her that the boy was only wearing blue jeans when investigators found him.
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