Police said the girls were alone in a damaged Floran Street home when firefighters arrived.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two adults face child neglect charges after three young girls were found alone inside a smoke-filled Columbia home that caught fire late Monday, authorities said.
Zana Oden, 28, and Mali’K Locke, 21, appeared in bond court Wednesday after police said Oden’s daughters, ages 6, 4 and 2, were left at the Floran Street home without an adult present. Locke is the father of one of the children. The girls were taken to the JMS Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, with severe burn injuries and were listed as critical but stable Wednesday.
Columbia-Richland firefighters arrived about 9:30 p.m. Monday, forced open the front door and found smoke inside the home. Firefighters searched the house and found the children in and near bedrooms. Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins said the flames did not reach the girls, but smoke and heat did. “It’s almost like they were limp because I thought they inhaled a lot of smoke,” Jenkins said.
Officials said the fire was put out quickly, but the home had major damage. Jenkins described a heavy cockroach infestation inside. Prosecutors said in court that one child was found in a playpen and another was unresponsive. They also said the youngest child was very malnourished and had no food, while one child had insects in her diaper. A police report said the home was in disrepair and unsafe for the children’s physical and mental development.
Deputy Police Chief Melron Kelly said Oden was arrested Tuesday less than a mile from the home after officers said she tried to hide in a closet at an apartment. Kelly said Oden knew about the fire but did not contact police. Prosecutors said the children may have been alone for at least a week before the fire. A neighbor reported not seeing Oden for a month.
Oden was granted a $300,000 bond. Locke was granted a $200,000 bond. Both were ordered to remain on house arrest, wear GPS monitors and have no contact with each other or the children. Locke’s attorney said Locke had no prior arrests and had no way to get to the home. Authorities said Locke knew about the fire and did not contact police.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Fire officials are investigating it as suspected arson, and Columbia police are working with the Columbia-Richland Fire Department fire marshal’s office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Police said the children will be placed in emergency custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services after they leave the hospital.
As of Thursday, police said the girls had made progress and could breathe on their own. The criminal investigation remains active, and officials said more findings could come as investigators review the fire, the home and the adults’ actions.
Author note: Last updated July 5, 2026.