West Virginia woman set her young sons' beds on fire

Publish date: 2024-05-08

A woman jailed on murder charges in West Virginia on Thursday is accused of setting fire to the beds of her two young sons as her husband slept. 

Molly Joe Delgado, 29, of Falling Waters was arrested Wednesday.

It's alleged she locked her family inside their trailer home and walked off with the key after starting the fire.

Delgado was arrested Wednesday, six weeks after her children were killed, after Assistant State Fire Marshal George Harms said she confessed to the arson on the night of January 24. 

Justin Delgado Jr., 5, left and Delmer Delgado, 3, were pronounced dead at the scene after their beds were allegedly set on fire by their mom who locked them and their dad in the house

Justin Delgado Jr., 5, left and Delmer Delgado, 3, were pronounced dead at the scene after their beds were allegedly set on fire by their mom who locked them and their dad in the house

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share The brothers lost their lives after they were unable to escape the smoke and flames in their bedroom

The brothers lost their lives after they were unable to escape the smoke and flames in their bedroom

The complaint says Delgado secured the front door from the outside and went across the street to her mother's home. 

Her husband, Justin Delgado Sr., had been asleep on the opposite side of the house and was awakened by the smoke. 

Unable to get to the children's bedroom on the other side of the home, he then tried to get out but was locked inside. 

He managed to open a kitchen window that was too small for him to fit through and called for help.

Molly Delgado's father, Drew McCombs, said his daughter was walking back to her home when she heard her husband yell that their trailer home was on fire. 

Once they got the door open, McCombs said he and his wife went inside and tried to find the boys bedroom, but the smoke was too thick.

'I got in there and I couldn't see, I couldn't see nothing — at all,' McCombs said. 'I couldn't find them.'

Delmer Delgado, 3, and Justin Delgado Jr., 5, were pronounced dead at the scene. Justin Delgado Sr. was treated for smoke inhalation. 

Delgado was held in the Eastern Regional Jail on Thursday on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. 

Jail records didn't indicate whether she has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

Assistant State Fire Marshal George Harms tells WEPM the investigation was successful thanks to the work of first responders.

'When they arrived on scene, their firefighting tactics preserved the scene well for us to do our investigation,' Harms said

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWKBc4WWcW1pZ3OkurG4wKKlrWWHpLqiuoysmKKcXaiytXmRZrCorZ6cerS7zaxkm52UqHqntdGeZaGsnaE%3D