AnnetteAyres
News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
(TNS)
Jun. 1—GREENSBORO — Police arrested a second person this week after investigating the deaths of two young boys pulled from a house fire in March.
Michael Christopher Dennis, 36, was charged with two counts of felony child abuse after police said they determined he was "neglectful and abusive." His 2-year-old-son and the child's friend, Cash Whitaker, 3, died at the man's Glenside Drive home.
Dennis is being held on a $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court today, when more details about the charges are expected to be brought forth by prosecutors.
On Wednesday, fire officials revealed for the first time that the home did not have working smoke alarms. Also, the front door was "blocked from the inside," said Greensboro Deputy Fire Chief Dwayne Church.
Church said the official cause of the fire is "undetermined" because investigators were unable to narrow down "multiple" things that could've caused the blaze. He said he could not elaborate on those possible causes.
On March 16 at 11:30 a.m., police and firefighters responded to the fire and encountered heavy smoke and flames inside. A woman outside — now identified as Noelle Cervantes, mother of Cash Whitaker — was able to direct firefighters to where the two children should be in the home. The two boys were removed and declared dead by EMS personnel.
Dennis was also there the day of the fire, Church said. It was not immediately clear, however, where he was when the fire began.
Cervantes, 33, was jailed Tuesday on a $1 million bond after her arrest on two counts each of second-degree murder and felony child abuse.
Cervantes had her first court appearance via video link from jail on Wednesday afternoon before District Court Judge Brian Tomlin and slowly shook her head from side to side as the proceeding began.
According to police, Cervantes was "neglectful" in her care of the boys and possibly could've prevented their deaths. There is no evidence that the boys were hurt by Cervantes prior to the blaze or that she was responsible for causing the fire, according to police department spokeswoman Josie Cambareri.
During Wednesday's proceeding, a prosecutor said the boys were found in a room across the hall from where they believe the fire began. At one time, Cervantes told investigators she was in the bathroom on her cellphone when the fire started, then went outside and called for the boys.
Although a defense attorney requested bond be reduced for Cervantes, Tomlin maintained the $1 million bond and will require electronic monitoring if Cervantes is released. He appointed a public defender to represent her.
Cervantes' next court date is July 6.
336-373-7019
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