AKRON, Ohio — More than four years after a fire killed two young children who were left home alone, neighbors say the vacant house on 7th Avenue in Akron remains standing — overgrown, boarded up, and a source of ongoing frustration and grief.
On the evening of May 23, 2022, neighbors called 911 to report the fire.
"The house is on fire, like smoke is coming out the window," a caller said. "No one is answering."
Ten-year-old Abou Jabateh and his 8-year-old sister, Fatumata Jabateh, were overcome by smoke and died. An investigation found that their mother, Masiame Donzo, left the children home alone when the fire broke out. Donzo pleaded guilty to endangering children and involuntary manslaughter and is serving six to nine years in prison.
The house has sat vacant ever since. Vegetation has grown so high and thick that much of the structure is now concealed from the street. Neighbors say the conditions are unacceptable.
Alphonso Thompkins, who lives next door, said he has been complaining to the city about the property for years.
"It needs to be torn down, or something done with it, because it's an eyesore, and raccoons and groundhogs are coming across the field," Thompkins said.
Carleton Hale, another neighbor, said he is increasingly worried about safety because of strangers hanging around outside the house.
"You see people sitting on the porch at night," Hale said. "It's kind of dangerous for the kids, who go to school— early in the morning, people come home late at night from work."
Tara Mosley Weems, a former councilwoman who lives farther down the street and is running for mayor, said the city should take action to demolish the house even while the owner is incarcerated.
"Have her sign a demo waiver, and they can come in, and they can tear the property down," Mosley Weems said. "Even if they have to use it, go through the land bank. There's ways to get this property razed, so it's not a constant reminder to these neighbors."
News 5 reached out to the mayor's office to ask what could be done about the vacant property. A city spokesperson said the city was gathering information.
Thompkins said crews did take down one tree and cut the grass last week, but he said it is long overdue for the house to come down.
"It's just ridiculous that the house has been here this long. Anytime you see a fire here in Akron, and the next week or so, they're tearing the house down. This has been going on four years," Thompkins said.
Mosley Weems said the property is a constant reminder of the tragedy for everyone who lives nearby.
"Every time I drive down this way, I think about those kids who died in this house," Mosley Weems said.
