Family struggles to cope after day-care fire Source: Worker shopped, left kids before fire

A law enforcement official says investigators are trying to determine whether another adult was caring for children in home day care

Kendyll Stradford, 20 months old, was one of three children who died after the day-care fire. Kendyll Stradford, 20 months old, was one of three children who died after the day-care fire. Photo: Family Photo Photo: Family Photo Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Family struggles to cope after day-care fire 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The operator of a home-based day care that caught fire on Thursday, leaving three toddlers dead and four others hurt, went shopping at a nearby store and returned to the west Houston child care center she runs possibly minutes before or just as the blaze erupted, said a law enforcement source familiar with the case.

Jessica Rene Tata, 22, the operator of Jackie's Child Care at 2810 Crest Park Lane, has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether she left another adult in charge of the seven toddlers inside the day care while she went shopping, said the source, who asked not to be identified.

It was not immediately known how long Tata's alleged shopping trip lasted.

"There's no question she went shopping," the source said Friday. "They're trying to determine exactly when she returned, although it was a very close proximity (in time) to the fire."

Tata's brother vigorously disputed claims that his sister went shopping, saying she was at the home the entire time leading up to the fire in the day care's kitchen at 1:35 p.m. Thursday.

"That's crap," said Ron Tata on Friday. "She was there the whole time. I'm 100 percent positive for sure. She was cooking and she went and put a baby down, changing a diaper, came out, the food was burning — she tried to put it out.

"The fire spread — it was a grease fire," the 26-year-old brother said. "She called the ambulance. Her neighbors were outside, and she's pulling kids out, asking people for help, neighbors stood by and just watched. She went in for the third kid, she passed out and the firefighters went in there and rescued her."

Jessica Tata did not respond to requests for comment Friday. Calls to her cellular phone went unanswered.

She suffered smoke inhalation, cuts and bruises when she pulled two children from the house, her brother said. She was released Friday from Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, he said.

Community shocked

The fire stunned Houston with the scope and depth of its horrific consequences — three dead toddlers, including a 3-year-old boy and two small girls — and four other toddlers injured, some severely.

The dead children were identified as Elizabeth Kajoh, 19 months old, of Cypress; Kendyll Stradford, 20 months old, of Katy; and Shomari Dickerson, 3.

Kajoh died at 2:39 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, while Stradford died at 3:23 p.m. at West Houston Medical Center. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences would not release how or where Dickerson died. No contact information was available.

Two of the surviving children are in critical condition at Shriners Hospital For Children in Galveston. They suffered burns on about one-third of their bodies, but doctors were more concerned about the effects of the deadly smoke the children inhaled.

Information on the other two surviving children was not available Friday.

The mother of one child who died described the heartbreak of seeing her daughter's smoky, cut-up clothing when she arrived at West Houston Medical Center after getting a call at her office.

"When I got to the hospital, they weren't letting anyone see the kids ... so I was just kind of begging and pleading if they could describe something, like her hair or her clothes," said Stradford's mother, Kenya Stradford, 30, of Katy. "That's when they brought her pants that she had on, and that's how I was able to identify her."

The tiny pair of purple and pink plaid stretchy pants were covered with smoke and had been cut off the small girl's body.

Kenya Stradford said she was then allowed to see her daughter as doctors performed CPR on the child. It was only the second day her daughter had attended the day care facility.

Harrowing scene

Houston firefighters pulled five children trapped in the house outside. Witnesses described a harrowing scene of firefighters carrying the lifeless bodies of small children in their arms while frantically running down the small residential street toward ambulances.

At one point, firefighters simultaneously performed CPR on three children on the day care's front lawn.

As firefighters battled the blaze, Tata's day care van was parked in front of the house with one of the van's doors open. At one point, Tata, who had burns to her hands, turned to her mother and told her to call a lawyer, a Houston Chronicle photographer said.

All seven children at the facility were between 18 months and 3 years old. According to state child care rules, Tata should not have been caring for more than six children older than 18 months of age.

"It's just upsetting — obviously, she is overwhelmed," said Kenya Stradford. "You're holding a day care, other people are trusting their kids with you, and they're paying you to do it. ... I thought she had help, and apparently, it looks like she didn't have any help. She just made me feel like I should trust her. And this was my daughter's second day going there."

Houston Fire Department arson investigators have recovered one smoke detector from the four-bedroom structure so far. According to state day care regulations, each room should have one.

HFD officials would not comment Friday on whether Tata was away from the day care when the fire started.

No strict regulations

Registered day care homes are licensed facilities, but not as strictly regulated as licensed day care centers.

The 2,219 registered day care homes in Houston, like the one that burned this week, are not required to be inspected by the city's fire marshal's office. Only Texas-licensed day care centers are required to undergo such inspections, said Houston Fire Marshal Richard Galvan.

Exactly how many people are involved in the Jackie's Child Care operation is unclear. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Jessica Tata is the sole operator and has no staff. The agency is also investigating the incident.

Records indicate that the Jackie's Child Care van advertising 24/7 child care is registered to Tata's brother, Ron.

The house where the day care operates is owned by Ronald B. Velasco of Katy. Calls to Velasco were not returned Friday.

peggy.ohare@chron.com

terri.langford@chron.com