Child taken from mom who lost 3 in fire

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - The only surviving child from a Kalamazoo apartment fire that killed three of her younger siblings was taken away from her mother for the time being in a placement hearing in Kalamazoo Wednesday afternoon.

Jonetta Woods lost three of her children in a fire at Interfaith Apartments. Taniyah and Tevin Williams, 3-year-old twins, and their 1-year-old sister, Tyonna Henderson,  died when the home they lived in at the Kalamazoo complex caught fire around 2 p.m. Monday.

Woods was in court Wednesday, where a petition was granted to take her only surviving daughter out of her care. At times during the hearing, Woods held her head down and wiped away tears.

The 4-year-old will be placed in the care of her aunt. The referee in the case granted supervised visits by Woods with her child that can be "frequent."

Also Wednesday, police released 911 recordings from the Monday fire.

"Yes, it's kids in there," a caller told 911 dispatchers. "We cannot get in! The kids are in there! The kids are in the house!"

One call recording seems to show that Woods' boyfriend was nearby, backing up her claims that she left the kids in the care of someone else.

"That's Jonetta's house," one caller said. "Her boyfriend was standing right there in front of that [expletive] house!"

But police said the children were home alone when the fire started.

"She did not leave her children alone," said Woods' attorney Dorphine Payne. "We need to step back and not be judgmental and wait until the facts come out. ...Rumor and innuendo are not helpful."

Woods left the courtroom without commenting, but Tuesday told 24 Hour News 8 she is cooperating with authorities. She said she did all she could to try and save her children.

Police reports confirm Woods was found to have left her eldest daughter alone before in 2009 when the girl was 1.

In that incident, police reports show the baby was left alone for at least an hour. When an employee at the apartments Woods lived in heard the baby crying, they opened the door and found a young child sweating, crying and holding a diaper in her hand. It was 96 degrees outside. No one else was in the apartment.

Woods claimed she had only been gone for a few minutes in that incident.

== Watch: Wednesday afternoon, a vigil was held in memory of the three children ==

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The 4-year-old girl who survived the fire is in need of clothes and toys, according to Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell's Facebook page.

Hopewell's page says the girl wears size 3T clothes, size 9 shoes and a size 4T coat. Toys, educational games and clothes can be dropped off at the Mothers of Hope office located inside the Douglass Community Association at 1000 W. Paterson St.

Hopewell says those who would like to drop off cooked food or beverages can text City Commissioner Stephanie Moore at 269.760.5969.

Financial contributions may be made to the Northside Ministerial Alliance to aid the mother of the victims and the three families displaced by the fire, Hopewell said.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church is collecting items for the four families affected by the fire. Toiletries, clothing, bed and bath linens, small kitchen appliances, other kitchen items, and bedroom, living room and dining room furniture are needed.

-- List of needed items (pdf) --

Donations ban be dropped off at Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Friday between noon and 6 p.m. and will be delivered to families on Saturday. Donations may be made payable to Mt. Zion c/o Woods family.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church
120 Roberson
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
269.388.3111