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Hospitalized baby's mom arrested in arson probe

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A Pierce County, Wash., sheriff's spokesman says a woman whose house burned down a day before her hospitalized infant daughter died has been arrested for investigation of arson.

Spokesman Ed Troyer says Melinda Kay Sayers of Puyallup was arrested Thursday after being interviewed by detectives. She's expected to make an initial court appearance Friday.

The woman's 11-month-old daughter, Abigail, was born prematurely and spent most of her young life at Seattle Children's Hospital.

After five brain surgeries, the little girl was considered healthy enough to return home earlier this month. But then the family's home burned down. A day after the fire, the little girl died at the hospital.

Troyer says detectives investigating the case "noticed that the fire was not consistent with the evidence at the scene to be an accident."

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