Woman sentenced in Waterloo fire that killed boy, his mother

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A 45-year-old woman has been given two life sentences for setting a fire that killed a 9-year-old boy and his mother in Waterloo. Susanna O’Brien was sentenced Monday for the deaths of 32-year-old Ashely Smith and her son, Jaykwon Sallis, in April 2018. Prosecutors said O’Brien set the fire because she was upset her boyfriend was staying with another woman at Smith’s home. The boyfriend and the second woman escaped. While handing down the sentence, the judge said O’Brien set fires at the home’s front and back doors in order to trap everyone inside. O’Brien’s attorney said she continues to maintain her innocence.