Texas grandmother arrested for abandoning her two small grandchildren to die in raging house fire

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Andrea Aleman, 44, of Waco, Texas, escaped the blaze with her 11-year-old daughter
Anthony Cole Puente, 4, and Rachel Rose Aleman, 2, were left behind in the fire
Police say Andrea's actions were reckless, contributing to the deaths
Daughter told authorities that her mother 'was the first person out of the house'
Aleman's Facebook page: 'my beautiful babies. Grandma loves y'all very much. i wish it was me not them'

Published: 10:29 EDT, 16 November 2018 | Updated: 17:00 EDT, 16 November 2018

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Andrea Aleman, 44, was arrested on two charges of reckless injury to a child in the deaths of her grandchildren

A grandmother has been arrested in Waco, Texas, after she fled a raging fire in her home and left her two grandchildren behind to die.

Andrea Aleman, 44, faces two charges of reckless injury to a child in the deaths of four-year-old Anthony Cole Puente and two-year-old Rachel Rose Aleman.

Waco police believe she 'took no action to get them help' until it was too late.

The fire had broken out in the kitchen of the Waco home on November 2 at 1.30am. It was not clear if it had been set intentionally by an occupant, reported KCEN .

After her escape, Andrea Aleman allegedly altered her story several times upon questioning.

She eventually admitted to remaining in bed when notified by her grandchildren of the fire and leaving them behind once she got up, according to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Her Facebook page intro now reads: 'my beautiful babies. Grandma loves y'all very much. i wish it was me not them,' and the profile and cover photos were updated following the fire with images of the now deceased children.

Anthony Cole Puente and Rachel Rose Aleman seen in a GoFundMe campaign photo

At least half of the home was damaged by fire according to Waco fire Chief Bobby Tatum

The affidavit also states that the surviving 11-year-old daughter of Andrea Aleman said her mother 'was the first person out of the house'.

The grandmother then did not attempt to return to aid the youngsters who had been left behind in the flames.

'The majority of the home, I'd say at least 50 percent, was damaged by fire,' Waco Fire Department Chief Bobby Tatum told the Waco Tribune-Herald.

When firefighters entered the home they found one child in the bathroom and another in a closet, reports KWTX.

Stuffed animals and flowers left as a tribute on the steps of the burned residence where Anthony Cole Puente, 4, and Rachel Rose Aleman, 2, were trapped

The smiling face of Anthony Cole Puente was Andrea Aleman's profile photo shortly after the fire that claimed his life

Anthony Cole Puente (left) and Rachel Rose Aleman (right) wearing Santa hats, the most recent profile photo posted on Andrea Aleman's Facebook page following the fire tragedy

The Waco, Texas, home of Andrea Aleman caught fire on November 2 at 1:30 a.m. when she was suspected of fleeing without aiding her two very young grandchildren

The children were then taken to a hospital in critical conditions but died shortly thereafter.

Authorities eventually caught up with Andrea Aleman at a North Waco home where she was arrested and then taken to jail.

'I really don't know how the fire started, but someone has to pay for it,' Felicia Puente, an aunt of the two victims, told KWTX.

A GoFundMe campaign for the two young victims raised $4,734.

Texas