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2 young girls die in Broward County apartment fire

Posted at 5:39 PM, Oct 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-14 07:50:30-04

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- Two young girls died in a fire Saturday morning in Pompano Beach.

Around 9:30 a.m., neighbors at the Banyan Club apartments at 1830 N.E. 48 Street called 911 after seeing smoke billowing from apartment 314.

Pompano Beach Fire Rescue crews arrived and extinguished the fire. The remains of 5-month-old Abigail Espinoza and 5-year-old Sofia Melendez were located inside the home.

According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, the mother of the girls, 23-year-old Jocelyn Melendez, left her daughters and her 2-year-old son in the care of her 15-year-old sister while she went to work.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire and what happened once the mother left the home.

Anyone with information is asked to contact BSO Homicide Detective John Curcio at 954-321-4210. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or online at browardcrimestoppers.org.