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Mother Of Girls Killed In Pompano Beach Fire Arrested

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies have arrested the mother of two sisters who died in an apartment fire Saturday morning in Pompano Beach.

BSO said Jeny Melendez-Ramirez, 22, is facing two counts of aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Melendez-Ramirez was taken into custody following a traffic stop in the 1900 block of West McNab Road in Pompano Beach, authorities said.

Five-month-old Abigail Espinoza and her 5-year-old sister Sofia Melendez died in their mothers' Banyan Club apartment that went up in flames Saturday just after 9 a.m.

Firefighters found the girls deceased in a bedroom.

Melendez-Ramirez told detectives she left her daughters and her two-year-old son in the care of her 16-year-old sister, Saydi Melendez, while she went to work.

Saydi told detectives her sister told her to take the two-year-old and go to Walmart to get some baby food.

"Melendez-Ramirez caused the death of her kids through culpable negligence," detectives said.

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