Woman charged with arson after her infant dies in Rock Hill fire, officials say
A Rock Hill woman has been charged with arson after her infant child died following a house fire Thursday in Rock Hill, officials said.
Laquita Joyce Henderson, 30, was arrested and charged with second-degree arson after a fire at a home on Sanders Street, according to the Rock Hill Police Department. Henderson is the mother of the child who died, said police Lt. Michael Chavis.
“It was determined that Henderson was responsible for the fire,” Chavis said Thursday night.
The York County Coroner’s Office identified the child Friday as a female, Brianna Henderson. Brianna Henderson was 7-months-old, Coroner Sabrina Gast said.
The death remains under investigation by the police and fire departments. The coroner’s office has scheduled an autopsy for Brianna Henderson to determine cause and manner of death, but it remains unclear when those results will be available.
The fire happened around 4:15 p.m. at the home in the Boyd Hill neighborhood near the intersection of Main Street and Cherry Road, said Mark Simmons, Rock Hill Fire Department deputy chief.
The child was found in the house by firefighters, Simmons said.
Laquita Henderson remains in custody at the York County jail after her bond was denied in a court hearing Friday morning in Rock Hill Municipal Court, according to jail and court documents.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
This story was originally published October 14, 2021 at 10:35 PM.
