BAD PARENTING

Syracuse Mother Admits to Setting House on Fire to Kill 2-Year-Old Daughter

She burned phones and electronic devices to ignite a fire, then barricaded the door and lied to the child’s father about where their daughter was.

A mother in Syracuse, New York, has pleaded guilty to attempted murder after deliberately setting her house on fire in a bid to kill her 2-year-old daughter. According to the judge, prosecutors, and police, in March 2021 Jennelle Gerton, 33, began burning phones and electronic devices in her home, which ignited a fire. She barricaded the door and blocked a window with a mattress, Syracuse.com reports. The mother also lied to the child’s father about where their daughter was at the time. Smoke had already filled the house when police arrived and “...the child had soot under her nose when rescued by police,” the judge said. Gerton now faces 8 years in prison after pleading guilty, which was extended to 11-14 after she was illegally found to be in possession of a rifle.