Two Colorado teens sentenced to seven years for 2022 fire that killed a mother and her 10-year-old daughter.
Two Colorado teens sentenced to seven years for deadly fire that claimed the lives of Kathleen Payton and her 10-year-old daughter Jazmine
Two teenagers were punished for starting a fire that killed a mother and her young daughter in Colorado teens. The fire happened in an apartment building. It caused great damage and hurt many people. One of the teens admitted his crime last week. The fire happened in the year 2022.
On Tuesday, February 3, Colorado’s First Judicial District Attorney’s Office shared a statement. They said both teens were given the highest punishment allowed by law. Each teen was sentenced to seven years. They will stay in the Division of Youth Services, which is a place for young offenders.
The names and genders of the teens were not shared because they are minors. Officials said one teen was 14 years old and the other was 12 years old when the fire happened.
A few hours before the fire on October 31, the teens were asked to leave a friend’s apartment. The apartment was in the Tiffany Square Apartments building. Later, just before 4 a.m., they came back. They started the fire by setting bushes outside the building on fire.
Security cameras showed the teens running away as the fire became bigger. They ran to a nearby building. After that, they used public transport to leave the area. A 31 year old mother named Kathleen Payton and her 10 year old daughter Jazmine Payton Aguayo were inside their apartment. They could not escape. They died because of smoke and poisonous gas from the fire.
Ten other people were hurt in the fire. All the people living in the 32 apartments lost their homes and had to leave.Deputy District Attorney Riley Gonya said the punishment brings some justice to the community. He said nothing can bring back the lives lost or fix the damage. He added that the decision may help people start healing.
Family members of Kathleen and Jazmine were present in court. In a statement, they said they will always miss their loved ones. They said they will never stop feeling the pain of losing Katie and Jazzy.
The first teen involved in the fire was sentenced earlier in October 2023.
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Both teens have been in custody since October 31, 2022 in Colorado. They faced serious charges. These charges included first degree murder and starting a fire on purpose. Kathleen’s aunt, Rochelle Vigil Valdez, shared kind memories. She said Kathleen always helped her neighbors. She said Jazmine had just started fifth grade. Jazmine loved unicorns and toys. She was a very sweet child.
Along with their seven year punishment, both teens were also given credit for 113 days. These were the days they had already spent in custody before the final decision.
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