On the night of October 17–18, 2023, 29-year-old Joseph M. Washington allegedly set fire to the family home at 4911 America Street in the Plum Orchard neighborhood of New Orleans East while his three children — an 8-year-old son, a 5-year-old daughter, and a 3-year-old son — were inside. Their mother was at work as a nurse and called 911 after Washington told her he intended to burn down the house, but by the time firefighters arrived the blaze was already catastrophic. The 5-year-old girl died from smoke inhalation with carbon monoxide poisoning, ruled a homicide. Washington had a documented history of domestic violence, including at least two prior convictions and a 2018 restraining order in which he threatened to kill the mother and children. He fled the scene, was tracked down by police and U.S. Marshals, and was ultimately charged with first-degree murder, cruelty to a juvenile, and aggravated arson.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The child died from smoke inhalation with carbon monoxide poisoning in a fire intentionally set by her father, Joseph Washington. The FOIA document lists the manner of death as "Homicide," and the nola.com article states "Washington fled the scene in his vehicle, police said, leaving his 8-year-old son, 5-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son to die in the fire." This constitutes an intentionally inflicted fatal injury via arson. Additionally, the nola.com article notes that Washington "often attacked her while she was holding the children," implying the children may have been indirectly subjected to physical violence as well.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The WWL-TV article states "29-year-old Joseph Washington is accused of setting the home on fire" and describes him as "the father of three children who died in a house fire." The nola.com article confirms he was the biological father, noting that "When Washington and his now ex-wife got the keys to their house in 2016, they were expecting their first child, Joseph 'JoJo' Washington Jr." The 5-year-old girl who is the subject of the FOIA document was one of the three children.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The WWL-TV article states: "New Orleans Police Department has arrested the father of three children who died in a house fire." It further specifies: "He was initially booked on three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of cruelty to a juvenile and one count of aggravated arson. The murder counts were raised to first-degree Thursday." The nola.com article corroborates: "Washington was briefly hospitalized before being booked on three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and one count of aggravated arson."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The nola.com article extensively documents domestic violence by the father/caregiver: "Washington was convicted of domestic abuse and battery at least twice in 2016." It also states: "She filed for a restraining order against Washington in 2018, describing an incident in which Washington tricked her into seeing him and then threatened to kill her and the children." Further: "The records reveal a history of abusive behavior doled out by Washington, and claims that he repeatedly hit and choked her and often attacked her while she was holding the children." The neighbors had even "developed a signal: a flickering porch light at the house meant to call police" in response to recurring domestic violence at the residence.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The nola.com article states: "The children's mother was hospitalized as well and is on suicide watch, a family member said." While this is a post-incident mental health concern rather than a pre-existing condition, it is a reference to a parent/caregiver's mental health status.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The nola.com article states: "Washington was convicted of domestic abuse and battery at least twice in 2016, according to city and court records." These convictions predate the October 2023 fatal incident and are separate from the first-degree murder and arson charges arising from the children's deaths.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable systemic and contextual details emerge from the text. The nola.com article reveals that neighbors on America Street had "developed a signal: a flickering porch light at the house meant to call police" when domestic violence occurred at the Washington home, indicating a pattern of known violence. Despite Washington being convicted of domestic abuse at least twice in 2016 and a restraining order filed in 2018 in which he "threatened to kill her and the children," Washington still had unsupervised access to his three children on the night of the fire, raising questions about the effectiveness of protective orders and the family court system. Additionally, the mother called 911 five minutes before midnight stating "their father intended to burn the house down," but by the time emergency services arrived the fire was already catastrophic, highlighting response-time limitations. The home was built through Habitat for Humanity's low-income homebuyer program in 2016, and the community's response — including a memorial spelling "JUSTICE" and a domestic violence rally at City Hall — underscored the broader public health dimensions of the case.
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