Dakota Rae Jones, Wyatt Duchette, and the aftermath of the fire that took the 8-year-old’s life (WOIO screenshots)
An Ohio mother who was charged with killing her 8-year-old son in a house fire and injuring his 10-year-old stepbrother has pleaded guilty to endangering children and attempted endangering children, according to records out of Huron County.
In exchange, prosecutors dropped their involuntary manslaughter case against the defendant, Dakota Rae Jones, 33. She was sentenced on March 10 to five years of community control. The probation department also gets to decide how she will serve her 90 days in jail, with an option for her to be given house arrest.
The Ohio State Fire Marshals ultimately determined the June 7, 2023, fire to be an accident, according to Cleveland CBS affiliate WOIO. She was not home at the time.
She reportedly told police she had stepped out briefly to go to the bank and returned to see her house in flames. Both of her sons were in the house at the time.
A Huron County grand jury eventually indicted her.
Jones was noticeably snippy with authorities as they arrested her Dec. 11, 2023, as one of the officers asked about taking her phone.
“Um, I’m going to use it to call my mother and stuff, and my lawyer too, so –” she said.
She repeatedly told authorities to “get it over with” in taking her away.
“No, he already knows what’s going on,” she said, calling out to someone as officers escorted her. Then, to no one in particular, “Just let’s go. Get it over with. Come on.”
Court documents from March 11 show, however, that the court determined that she was sincerely remorseful and complied with certain conditions, such as cooperating with pretrial services, and is currently in treatment.
Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.
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