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Bobbie Kugler Charged In Fire Deaths Of 4 Children In New York

04/13/12 05:16 PM ET AP

Bobbiekugler
Bobbie Kugler is accused of starting the February fire that killed her four young children in New York.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A mother who was rescued from a house fire that killed four of her children was charged Friday with setting the fire, but authorities would say little about how or why.

Bobbie Kugler, 31, was scheduled to be arraigned in Rochester City Court Saturday on four counts of manslaughter and arson, Fire Chief John Caufield said at a news conference.

Kugler is the mother of 14-year-old Gage Reavey, 13-year-old Greg Kugler, 12-year-old Kandee Kugler and 6-year-old Kaiden Kugler. All died in the Feb. 18 fire in their two-story Rochester home.

Firefighters rescued the mother and her 2-year-old son, Tyron Jackson, from the first floor.

"This fire is a result of human intervention. This was not an accidental fire," Caufield said.

Fire officials said the blaze began in a first-floor bedroom but declined to say how it started or elaborate on the mother's involvement or motive, citing the pending legal case.

"She is being charged specifically with arson, that being setting a fire and causing the death of her four children," Deputy Chief Mike Wood said.

Charges of manslaughter, he said, stem from "recklessly causing the death of another human being."

Officials didn't discuss whether more serious charges were considered or are possible.

Kugler was arrested Friday in Poughkeepsie, where she has been living. It wasn't known if she had a lawyer. No one answered the phone at a telephone listing in her name.

The fire was reported at about 1 a.m. and spread so quickly through the wood-framed building that firefighters, despite arriving within minutes, were unable to reach the children trapped on the upper floor.

A family friend and two teens who had been sleeping over at the house escaped by jumping from second-floor windows.

FOLLOW CRIME

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A mother who was rescued from a house fire that killed four of her children was charged Friday with setting the fire, but authorities would say little about how or why. Bobbie Kugl...
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A mother who was rescued from a house fire that killed four of her children was charged Friday with setting the fire, but authorities would say little about how or why. Bobbie Kugl...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
travelingblogger
09:45 PM on 04/17/2012
If this woman is being falsly accused of these crimes, then the cops needs to find out who actually did this. I watched the video several times. She was indeed in a full panic mode. The firefighters were basically standing around.

The whole story isn't being told and the video doesn't agree with the story. Something is very fishy here. I smell a set up.
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Trishann
Be true to yourself.
08:23 AM on 04/18/2012
Is that why she admitted to setting the fire when she tried to burn some pictures of her boyfriend? Maybe that was a false story she told the investigators at first. The story doesn't make sense anyway you look at it.
09:40 PM on 04/17/2012
those that seem to want to post negative comments and speculate as to what happened seriously need to shut it down. the family members have to live through and are still in the grieving process and now have to have salt added to already fresh wounds do NOT need your negativity. you weren't there neither was I at the end of the day a mother lost her 4 children and now this just stop and let them be. enough is enough. how would you feel if something like this happened to your family???!!!!!!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Deeza
08:47 PM on 04/18/2012
I feel sorry for the kids who died because of her setting the fire by accident (or on purpose). Can we not pity the dead kids?
07:34 PM on 04/19/2012
but you don't know that she even started the fire . you don't know the details of the story... you're just listening to the media .
05:26 PM on 04/17/2012
Lighten up people, her family is reading these comments and also making comments to help explain what happened...they are really hurting right now...please give them a break....MERCY
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
hannahsmine
05:08 PM on 04/17/2012
this time it is her time to fry
07:36 PM on 04/17/2012
you're a sick person . that's my family your talking about . you don't know how disrespectful that is .
09:11 AM on 04/17/2012
Not even a single burn or even an attempt to save her little ones?
07:42 PM on 04/17/2012
you don't know the whole story .
the firemen woke her up when they got there . she had to go outside with her youngest kid . and then she went to try to go back in , and they had to restrain her , because she was fighting so much to get back in . and she told the firemen that there was 4 kids upstairs , and one's deaf . and the firemen were completely 100% geared to go up in that fire , and they didn't . and if you go watch the video's from when the fire first happened , it shows her being restrained and freaking out . the firemen had a lot of chances to get the kids . they had the chance when she told them , and the had the chance to go into the other side of the house , in the other apartment to go through and get them . i'm sure the people who lived there would understand . you guys don't know the details to this stroy . you guys are just believing what the media is telling you . and actually the pictures on fire , that's not even true .
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
travelingblogger
09:42 PM on 04/17/2012
Olivia.. keep screaming on the post and in other media outlets. You need to let everyone know exactly what happened and how she is wrongly being accused of all this.

Don't let anyone stop you until you find out the entire truth, as hurtful as it may be so don't get upset if she actually did have something to do with it. The worst criminals are the ones you least suspect, and it's a shock that really unnerves you.

If she HAS been wrongly convicted, keep screaming until someone helps you uncover the truth. Threaten to sue and file charges against the cops and firefighters there for not doing their jobs until the truth comes out (I'd sue anyhow).
05:16 AM on 04/17/2012
With six children, she shouldn't of had the time for another man.
03:44 AM on 04/17/2012
So muxh missing from the story, did she do this intentionaly?where is the father/ Is she mentally unstable etc.
11:02 AM on 04/17/2012
You mean "fathers"..plural....those kids all have different names (well, 3 have the same name...but the rest all have different).
07:43 PM on 04/17/2012
i don't understand what her children having different father's have ANYTHING to do with this . Yeah they had different fathers , but that doesn't affect the case .
02:13 AM on 04/18/2012
oh.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
03:29 AM on 04/17/2012
She not only had her own children in the house, but had other people in the house on a sleepover? What could make someone go there?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Deeza
01:20 AM on 04/17/2012
Why do these women who have so many problems decide to have 5 kids?! And she had her first at 17?!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ickymcpooh
yes I get it my grammur is bad and I cant spell.I
10:09 AM on 04/17/2012
They think this time the man will stay and they will live happily ever after.Its not the kids they want its the men.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
zLala
01:57 PM on 04/17/2012
This is true. It's so sad. I wish so much the kids upstairs could have jumped out. It doesn't bear thinking about...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Deeza
07:09 PM on 04/17/2012
True.
07:44 PM on 04/17/2012
she had six kids , actually . and she loved every single one of them . you don't know my cousin . you're believing what the media is saying . don't you find it that the medias story has changed every other day ? and the only persons story that has stayed the same was my cousins ?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Deeza
10:51 AM on 04/18/2012
I am VERY sorry, it does sound callous of me,. My point is not that she didn't love her kids BUT, as mother myself, I feel that children need a lot of attention and care and if you don't have support from a partner, it can be overwhelming. When you have your first child as a teenager and then have five more with different fathers--- it's challenging and sometimes you make choices that aren't very smart and that can cause harm to yourself or your kids. That said, I can't imagine the pain she is going through right now. So sorry.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wesdfs
a guy with different point of veiw
12:24 AM on 04/17/2012
such a sad story----------hope she get what she deserves
12:19 AM on 04/17/2012
.....Deranged Insanity.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Jack Davies
THEY OWN BOTH SIDES!
11:30 PM on 04/16/2012
That picture says it all. Broken, in all probability for good.
10:12 PM on 04/16/2012
Someone wanted the Kugler kids out of the way. Hmmm. Who could that be?
09:40 PM on 04/16/2012
Theres another story about this violent and controlling woman. She was burning her boyfriends pictures and set the house on fire. If this woman wasn't so controlling over her boyfriend and her relationship, her kids might still be alive
04:23 PM on 04/17/2012
okay, you don't know anything about the relationship she was in .
everything the media is saying is a lie , just so you know .
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Greg Oropeza
09:54 PM on 04/17/2012
You should stop reading these posts Olivia. Idiots are always on here developing their own theories because they have sad pathetic lives.
Very sorry for your loss, bless you.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JC2009USA
Everybody has an opinion
08:16 PM on 04/16/2012
This is a very unusual story. If she did it on purpose knowing it would set the house on fire and it killed some of her kids - then she will burn in hell for what she did. If it were an ACCIDENT and it killed her kids - no one will have to wish her to hell - she will be trapped in a worse hell than anybody could wish on her...

I can't imagine anything worse than having to bare the burden of having accidentally killed your children in a fire...

I feel so bad about a situation like this...it's very sad. May those that died rest in peace.
03:45 AM on 04/17/2012
my thoughts exactly
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ickymcpooh
yes I get it my grammur is bad and I cant spell.I
10:11 AM on 04/17/2012
if you catch things on fire inside your home chances are its going to catch the house on fire.Maybe she should have just tore them up and tossed them in the trash
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49tales
lucem sequimur
01:35 PM on 04/17/2012
I can only imagine she's thinking that now and would change things if she could

However when I was a Girl Guide Leader I used to always take the girls to the fire station each year. Most firefighters we met absolutely hated people burning candles because they saw first-hand what could happen. I admit, while I'm careful I do still light candles and incense on occasion so I'm hesitant to judge this woman too harshly

Hopefully this will remind people to talk fire safety with their families. My girls are pretty much grown but we still have these talks and have plans to get out of the house safely in invent of a fire

Oh yes, and check your smoke detectors