Mother Charged In Fire Deaths Of Children

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jan 9, 2009 3:30PM

Charlene D. Cheatem, the mother of three children who died in a fire earlier this week has been charged with three counts of felony child endangerment resulting in death. Cheatem admitted she left the children alone in the house without adult supervision while she took another child to school and visited a sick relative. The three children who died were: Sharell Gates, 3, Tyrel Gates, 2, and Jimmy Gates, 7 months old. A fourth sibling was rescued from the fire and reported in fair condition at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire but initial reports show it could be a space heater as the gas to the building had been cut off.