AURORA, Colo. — An Aurora woman was sentenced to prison after she set a fire in an apartment complex that displaced more than 30 people and killed a child.
Alondra Michel, 39, was sentenced to 42 years in the Department of Corrections, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office. She previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree arson.
The charges stem from Jan. 24, 2022. Around 1:30 a.m., Aurora Fire Rescue responded to a report of a fire at the Bella Terra at City Center Apartment Homes on E. Evans Avenue in Aurora. As firefighters helped to evacuate residents, they found 5-year-old Abner Salmeron-Bautista on the second floor. He was rushed to the hospital, but died of his injuries.
Thirty-one people were displaced and nine were injured. The fire was under control as of 2:30 a.m.
The subsequent investigation found that a person had intentionally set the fire. This later led investigators to learning that Michel had burned a blanket inside a ground-level apartment after a fight with her boyfriend.
She was arrested the same day.
In the wake of the fire, the aunt of Abner told Denver7 that the family was devastated. Amairani Ramirez said the boy's mother woke up to the smell of the smoke and started getting ready to evacuate. But as they tried to escape, Abner lost his way in the darkness.
"He was a ray of sunshine," she said. "He was the light of the house."
Local
Family of 5-year-old killed in Aurora apartment arson fire seeking justice
“This defendant’s actions showed a complete disregard for the safety of all tenants living in that complex,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Ann Tomsic during Michel's sentencing. “We hope this lengthy prison sentence can bring some closure to Abner’s family and the other tenants who were temporarily displaced at no fault of their own.”
Michel will serve five years of parole after her prison sentence.
