Meliza Campos-Sanchez is a 26-year-old Miami-area realtor and social-media influencer who was arrested after authorities accused her of deliberately setting a fire inside her home and pouring hot candle wax on her two daughters, ages 6 and 3. Campos-Sanchez faces one count of first-degree arson, one count of child abuse and two counts of child neglect. [People]
Meliza Campos-Sanchez Arrest And Allegations
Campos-Sanchez Arrested On Arson, Child Abuse And Child Neglect Charges. Campos-Sanchez was taken into custody on August 17, one day after Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to a reported kitchen fire at her home. Authorities subsequently charged her with first-degree arson, child abuse and two counts of child neglect. [People]
Fire Investigator Says Kitchen Blaze Was Intentionally Set. According to the arrest affidavit, investigators concluded that the fire was deliberately started using an open flame, an ignitable liquid and combustible materials. Investigators found damage to the kitchen floor as well as burned clothing, a red lighter, a silver mask and a bottle containing a liquid believed to be rubbing alcohol. [Law & Crime]
Police Say Instagram Video Showed Campos-Sanchez Pouring Hot Wax On Her Daughters. Investigators said one video posted to Campos-Sanchez’s Instagram account showed her using lit candles to pour melted wax onto her own leg and then onto the hands of her two young daughters. Authorities allege the children could be heard reacting to the heat as Campos-Sanchez told them not to be afraid. [International Business Times]
Second Video Allegedly Showed Campos-Sanchez Setting Clothing On Fire. According to the probable-cause affidavit, another video showed Campos-Sanchez wearing a silver mask while dancing in the kitchen, spraying liquid onto clothing lying on the floor and igniting it with a red lighter. Investigators allege the resulting fire produced a large flash of flame while Campos-Sanchez continued dancing nearby. [Law & Crime]
Six-Year-Old Daughter Told Investigators She Witnessed Kitchen Fire. Campos-Sanchez’s older daughter told investigators that she and her younger sister were in a laundry room adjoining the kitchen when they saw their mother set clothing on fire and throw a glass mug onto the floor. The girl said Campos-Sanchez later extinguished the flames with water. [People]
Daughter Says Campos-Sanchez Brought Girls Into Kitchen And Poured Wax On Them. The six-year-old further told investigators that after the fire, Campos-Sanchez brought both children into the kitchen and poured what the child described as hot liquid from the candles onto herself and the girls. Investigators identified the substance as melted candle wax. [Law & Crime]
Husband Says He Had Previously Contacted Authorities About Concerns For Children. Campos-Sanchez’s husband, Yusniel Cue, told investigators that the couple had been experiencing marital problems and that he had been staying with his parents for approximately a week. Cue said he had contacted the sheriff’s office during the previous week because he was concerned about the children and also told investigators about an earlier incident in which Campos-Sanchez allegedly attempted to harm herself. [People]
Friend Alerted Campos-Sanchez’s Husband To Instagram Videos. Cue told investigators that one of Campos-Sanchez’s friends contacted him after seeing the videos and urged him to call police. By the time Cue reached the home, Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were already there. Cue subsequently took custody of the two girls. [People]
Meliza Campos-Sanchez Court Case
Campos-Sanchez Taken For Mental-Health Evaluation Before Arrest. Following the incident, Campos-Sanchez was transported to a hospital and placed under Florida’s Baker Act for a mental-health evaluation. An officer who attempted to interview her at the hospital found her sedated and unable to speak. Deputies arrested her after she was cleared for discharge. [Law & Crime]
Judge Ordered Campos-Sanchez To Have No Contact With Daughters. After her arrest, Campos-Sanchez was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. A judge ordered her to have no contact with her daughters while the criminal case proceeds, and the children were placed in their father’s care. [International Business Times]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.