Local News

Mother of Cherry Creek arson victims charged with abuse

By Journal staff | Tuesday, December 02, 2008

The mother of a Cherry Creek teenager who admitted setting a fire that killed his two young siblings has herself been charged with child abuse.

Wenona Rooks, 37, was indicted in U.S. District Court on three counts of child abuse and exposing children to abuse, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Court documents show one count alleges that Rooks "did abuse, expose, torture, torment and cruelly punish" a minor. The two other counts, which use the same language, involve children under 7 years old.

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According to court documents, the charges involve incidents that happened at Cherry Creek on May 2. That also was the day Rooks' 4-year-old daughter Keya Rooks and 2-year-old son Marvin Rooks died in a house fire started by their brother Akeem Rooks.

At the time of the fire, Akeem Rooks was babysitting Keya, Marvin and another child. Wenona Rooks, her mother Veda Catches, and a third sister, Amani Rooks, were at a church bingo fundraiser at the nearby community center.

Akeem Rooks, who turns 19 this Friday, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of second-degree murder of a child under 18 and one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under 12. The sexual abuse charge involved a third child and happened the same day as the fire.

Akeem Rooks will serve at least 30 years in prison. He will be sentenced March 6.

Wenona Rooks' trial is tentatively scheduled for February.

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