Nov. 20--Tulsa police on Tuesday arrested a relative of the two children who died following an apartment fire.
Cpl. Greg Smith of the TPD Child Crisis Unit said police arrested Miashah Moses, 23, on Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after a fire at London Square Apartments, located at 59th Street and Lewis Avenue, left two children dead.
Smith identified the children as Moses' nieces, 18-month-old Nylah Moses and 4-year-old Noni Moses.
Both children were taken by EMSA to Saint Francis Hospital in serious condition and were later pronounced dead.
Smith said Miashah Moses, 23, was arrested on two complaints of child neglect following an interview with police detectives. Her bail was set at $100,000.
Smith said Moses indicated she had been cooking and left the apartment to take out trash and talk with friends, locking the apartment as she left. Smith said she was gone for at least eight to 10 minutes.
"She left and left the children in the apartment with food on the stove," Smith said. "There was no one there to put out the fire or let the children out or anything. There was a lack of a safe environment."
Miashah Moses has prior misdemeanor convictions for drug possession, second-degree burglary and obstructing police officers.
Smith said Moses was watching the children while her sister, the children's mother, was at work.
Marvin Bizzell, a cousin to Nylah and Noni, said the family, many of whom spent much of Tuesday together, is devastated by the loss.
"Their mom, Keahmiee, loved those two girls," Bizzell said.
"She was an excellent mom. She worked and went to school. And (Miashah) loved those girls so much. She's been a part of those kids' lives since the day they were born."
Bizzell said the two girls took after their mother.
"(Keahmiee) is very smart and driven and motivated, and the girls are, too," Bizzell said. "The kids were direct, energetic ... they loved to talk. You would look at them and say, 'These girls are going to be somebody.' They were just full of life.
"All we know is the apartment caught on fire with the two girls in there. We're asking for people just pray for the family. We need people to pray for the mom and the aunt. They're emotionally destroyed by what happened."
Stacey Denton, another relative, said Nylah and Noni were "wonderful, beautiful girls" who were "always cheerful and had smiles on their faces."
"I loved them so much and will miss them so much," Denton said. "It's crazy because I was just over there the night before.
"They were good little girls. They loved each other so much."
Tulsa Fire Capt. Stan May said Tuesday that investigators ruled the blaze an accidental cooking fire.
Four fire engines, two ladder trucks and medical squads responded to the fire about 3 p.m. Monday and had the blaze under control shortly after arriving, May said.
One apartment unit was heavily damaged by the fire and another had some fire damage, May said.
Two to three others had extensive smoke and water damage, he said.
In addition to the two children, three adults were taken by EMSA to Saint Francis Hospital, according to Kelli Bruer, spokeswoman for EMSA.
Smith said Miashah Moses accompanied one of the children to the hospital but wasn't injured in the fire.
At least two neighbors who had tried to rescue the children were injured during the fire and taken to the hospital, he said.
World Staff Writers Kendrick Marshall and Dylan Goforth contributed to this story.
Jarrel Wade 918-581-8367
Copyright 2013 - Tulsa World, Okla.
