The fatal fire that killed three children in Kalamazoo early this week remains under investigation.
The children’s mother, Jonetta Woods, is now in the spotlight following a family court hearing Wednesday.
Woods faces a trial in family court to see if she’s fit to have custody of her surviving child, Drayanna O’Day, in the future.
We found another man mentioned in court records who may also be responsible for leaving the four kids alone the day of the fire.
Since the fire, Jonetta Woods has been under scrutiny by investigators.
The 25-year-old mom attended a hearing Wednesday after losing custody of her daughter.
Drayanna was taken away after CPS felt there was enough evidence that Jonetta was neglectful in leaving her four children home alone when the fire broke out.
She is learning what she will have to do to regain custody.
Although many have expressed outrage that she could leave her children without a guardian, we only found one report on file with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety involving Jonetta having done that before.
In July of 2009, a maintenance worker heard crying in Jonetta’s apartment and reported it.
An assistant manager said he opened the door and found Drayanna, 1, with her arms out holding a diaper.
An alleged friend happened by and said he was taking her to her mother.
When CPS came knocking, they found Drayanaa alone with Jonetta and she told them, “She was not a bad mother
and that she had left the baby for approximately five minutes.”
Still, following the fire, CPS investigated Jonetta and wrote in their report,“The previous and most recent incidents of improper supervision by the parent….results in ongoing threatened harm to Drayonna O’Day.”
The little girl was then taken away while Jonetta’s supporters requested some compassion from the community.
The man who may have also been responsible for watching the children the night of the fire, Fred Glespie, was arrested the day of the fire for driving on a suspended license.
CPS says both he and Jonetta were responsible.
Court documents reveal CPS is now prohibiting Glespie from having contact with Drayanna, saying in their report, “Fred Glespie’s unstable mental health places the minor child at risk of harm.”
He was being held in the Berrien County Jail.
Fred Glespie was charged with domestic violence in October, 2012 for an incident involving a different woman. He pleaded guilty in that case.
Meanwhile, Drayanna’s aunt has custody off her and Jonetta is allowed supervised visits.
CPS must do a home visit within the next 30 days to see how Drayanna is doing in that new situation.
We also checked into Drayanna’s biological father,
He is currently serving time in a boot-camp facility in Chelsea.
In relation to other contacts with the courts, Jonetta was charged with retail fraud in 2008.
