COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WRIC) — The parents of two toddlers who were critically burned in a May house fire are facing a slew of felony and misdemeanor charges in connection to an investigation into the fire.
The mother, Cierra Pitts, and the father, Joshua Cabaniss, are each facing three felony charges of child abuse with disregard for life, three felony charges of cruelty to a child and three misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Court documents state all nine charges stem from an offence date of May 15, the same day the tragic house fire broke out while Sharon Davis was babysitting her three great-grandchildren Maverick, 5, Nathaniel, 2, and Eva, 1, resulting in the destruction of her Colonial Heights home.
While Maverick was not majorly injured in the devastating blaze, his great-grandmother and younger siblings were all rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Family members told 8News burns covered 70% of the small bodies of the two toddlers.
Nearly four months later, the two children are still being treated at VCU Medical Center, and the Colonial Heights Commonwealth Attorney says they still have a long way to go. 8News has not yet received word on the updated condition of their great-grandmother.
Both Pitts and Cabaniss were indicted by a grand jury on the nine charges on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Cabaniss was served Wednesday at Riverside Regional Jail, where he is currently serving time for a different crime — his first court date is set for Dept. 12. Pitts is listed as a fugitive in court documents, as police have yet to be able to locate her.
If convicted, they parents could face up to 33 years each in prison.
