Tatiana was invited to a CD release party, she left the kids with Britany, breaking her deal with her sister, Dickler said.

When the children fell asleep, Britany left to go to her party, Dickler said.

"Tatiana was made aware that Britany had left the children alone," Dickler said. "Tatiana did not return to the house for hours after she knew the children were alone, and only returned once she was made aware that the apartment was on fire."

The sisters initially told investigators that the children had been left in the care of a cousin named Brandy, Dickler said.

"The defendants do not have a cousin by the name of Brandy, and no one else had been watching the children that night," Dickler said.

The sisters later admitted to police that thechildren had been left home alone, Dickler said.

Marijane Placek, an attorney for the sisters, said the two women were immature but "truly not evil people."

"These are two women living in poverty," Placek said. "They just made an awful mistake."

The fire occurred about 3:20 a.m. on the first floor of a house shared by the sisters and Tatiana's four children.