Orange County Mother Charged with Murder Following Fatal Fire that Claimed Infant’s Life

An unsettling tragedy arose from Orange County as a mother faces charges for the death of her infant following a fire incident in August. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman as Esther Thelus, 26, who is alleged to have intentionally started the blaze that led to the fatality of her 9-month-old baby and injured another child. The fire occurred in the 7200 block of Hiawassee Oaks Drive, as reported by WFTV.

Deputies responded to the scene on Aug. 26 at approximately 6:30 p.m. Following an in-depth investigation by homicide detectives, it was disclosed that Thelus “intentionally caused the fire, which killed one of her children,” according to a statement procured by ClickOrlando. The name of the deceased child was later confirmed to be Da Vinci Joseph through a sheriff’s office news release.

The surviving child of Esther Thelus, whose condition was serious following the incident, was released from the hospital shortly after the fire. While the children’s mother remains hospitalized, she now confronts legal consequences on counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Thelus is anticipated to have a pre-trial hearing slated for Nov. 12.

Details surrounding the motive and the specific circumstances that led to the fire have not been disclosed to the public. The authorities have withheld further information pending the ongoing investigation. Despite Thelus’s identity being publicly known, ClickOrlando decided against releasing additional details about the suspect due to “potential mental health concerns.”

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