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CHARLOTTE – Two young children were killed in a house fire Sunday in northwest Charlotte and their mother is facing charges for leaving them home alone.

Orgal Opata

Authorities say 26-year-old Orgal Opata left her four children at the home at the time of the fire, which started in a first-floor bedroom and involved a kerosene heater.

A neighbor was able to rescue the two older children, ages 7 and 4, but rescuers weren't able to get to the 1- and 2-year-olds in time.

This is not Opata's first incident involving her children.

A court affidavit filed last October said a person found her 2-year-old walking down Rowan Street wearing nothing but a T-shirt and a diaper. When the fire department came to investigate, they say they found the 4-year-old on the front porch and the 9-month-old inside lying face down on the bed, with no one home.

Opata told officers she was running to get her oldest daughter from school and would be right back.

She was charged with three counts of negligence. She also served time in prison in 2005 for larceny charges.

News 14 Carolina attempted to contact officials with the Charlotte Police Department and the Department of Social Services, but they said they could not comment on an ongoing investigation.

She’s now charged with murder and exposing a child to fire.

Opata is due in court Tuesday for the most recent charges filed against her.

Professor Sandra Jordan, with the Charlotte School of Law, says even though the mother did not start the fire, she could still be held responsible.

“Obviously this was an accidental death. So an accidental death can be homicide even though it's not an intentional death – and it can either be a negligent type of homicide were someone has behaved in behavior that is negligent, that is below the standard of care, you can call this criminal negligence,” she said.