A Georgia mom is behind bars after authorities allege she fatally stabbed three of her children during a house fire.
According to a Paulding County Sheriff's Office news release, deputies and firefighters responded to a domestic disturbance and fire at a Rockmart, Ga., home on Friday night
Authorities determined seven children lived at the home, according to the release.
Two of the kids, ages 3 years old and 9 months old, suffered from apparent stab wounds and were pronounced dead on the scene.
Three more children — ages 5, 9, and 11 — were transported to a local hospital, where the 5-year-old succumbed to injuries and died.
Additionally, two teens, ages 14 and 16, did not appear to have injuries, the sheriff's office said.
Neighbors told WXIA-TV some of the kids jumped out of a second story window to escape.
Deputies arrested the children's mother, 40-year-old Darlene Brister, who now faces two counts of malice murder in connection with stabbing deaths of her children.
More charges are imminent, the sheriff's office said.
Investigators are still trying to determine if the fire was started intentionally.
Speaking to WAGA-TV on Monday, the children's father and Brister's husband of 17 years, Ricky Brister, said his wife suffered from depression.
"She was hurt," he said. "She lost it."
Ricky also told the station he was leaning on his faith and "compassion" to help him and his family get through the ordeal.
"I'm a Christian man and I have Christian values. My message is a message of compassion for everybody," he said, the outlet reports. "There's nothing else that's going to help us get past this."
Following the blaze, Ricky said he and his kids are in need of a place to stay and other necessities.
A GoFundMe campaign, which says the father of seven was on his way home from out of state at the time of the incident, has been launched on his family's behalf.
According to jail records, Darlene is being held without bond at the Paulding County Detention Center.
It wasn't immediately clear if she retained an attorney to comment on her behalf or entered a plea to the charges.
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Georgia Mom Charged with Murder After She Allegedly Stabbed Her Kids to Death as House Burned
Neighbors said some of the kids jumped out of a second story window to escape, according to reports
