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The plea of a Houma man to a charge of negligent homicide in connection with the deaths of his two unattended children in a fire closes the books on a Hobson Street tragedy that has haunted other family members and the community.
Rommell Welsh Sr., 22, pleaded guilty to two counts, one for each child, as part of a plea agreement and will serve four years in prison.
The children, Romell Welsh Jr., 2, and Ro’Miya Welsh, 1, were left alone in the wood-frame house on Hobson Street March 15, 2014, after Welsh Sr. and their mother, Vaneshia Valentine, quarreled.
Valentine also pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and will also serve four years in prison.
A pair of underwear initially drying in an oven – said to have been the source of the dispute – was thrown in the trash, according to statements by Welsh.
He acknowledged leaving the house at 530 Hobson St. at around midnight; Valentine was said to have left to go find him.
Both returned later to find the house in flames.
The charred remains of the house became a shrine to the children; a mountain of stuffed animals and balloons grew in the days following the tragedy.
Both parents were initially charged with manslaughter.
Negotiations, which included family members, resulted in the plea offers, Assistant District Attorney Carlos Lazarus said.
Valentine was initially sentenced after accepting the four-year offer.
Prosecutors had offered Welsh five years, because of his criminal record.
But prior to his appearance last week before District Judge Juan Pickett they relented, and allowed Welsh to plead in return for the four years.
“Both grandmothers had a tremendous amount of input on this, they were involved in the discussions,” Lazarus said.
The charge was justified, he said, because a crime – the abandonment of the children – had occurred prior to the fire.
Although Welsh had left first, prosecutors said, he did not return once he knew that their mother had gone in search of him, and remained in her company outside of the house.
The maximum penalty for negligent homicide is five years when a victim is less than 10 years of age. If convicted of manslaughter, Welsh and Valentine could have drawn up to 40 years.
