Raleigh mother sentenced to probation in 2024 fire that killed 2 children
A Raleigh mother will avoid prison time after she pleaded guilty to felony neglect in a 2024 fire that killed her two children.
Rodrekia Porter, 34, was sentenced to two years of supervised probation after entering a plea Tuesday for two counts of felony child neglect inflicting serious bodily injury, court records show.
While the sentence included a 180-day active jail term, Porter received credit for time already served, allowing her to remain out of custody under strict court supervision.
Raleigh firefighters responding to a cardiac arrest call at 6 a.m. Sept. 29, 2024, at an apartment on Cantwell Court discovered a fire burning in the kitchen.
They found Porter’s children, a 4-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl, unattended. Both were rushed to a hospital but died from smoke inhalation.
According to a search warrant written by Raleigh Detective J.A. Hann, Porter initially told police she had turned on the stove in the downstairs kitchen to cook pork chops and gone back to sleep.
The pan caught fire, and Porter said she woke up with a headache and cough and found her children on the floor. She said she grabbed her children and ran outside , screaming for help. When asked, Porter told police that she had taken an Adderall medication at 11 p.m. the night before.
However, on Sept. 30, Hann wrote he was told that witnesses at the complex told police Porter was out of the apartment when the fire broke out, the warrant states. Another responding officer said Porter smelled like alcohol in the back of the EMS vehicle.
On Oct. 1, Hann wrote a social worker said Porter was tested for drugs and tested positive for fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana and smelled like alcohol, the warrant states.
Porter was eventually arrested by the Ahoskie Police Department about two hours from Raleigh.
Under her plea, Porter also agreed to these conditions:
- No unsupervised contact or responsibility for any minor child
- Mental health and substance abuse assessments in addition to recommended treatment programs
- Porter must pay $1,100.50 in court costs and legal fees
If Porter violates her probation, she would face a prison sentence.
Lexi Solomon contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 12:21 PM.