Florida Mum Arrested After Children Caught in Terrifying Home Incident

(Meliza Campos–Sanchez And Her Children. Photo by Daily Mail)

A mother in Florida was arrested after she poured hot wax on her young daughters and then started a fire in the kitchen while the children were still inside the home, authorities say.

Meliza Campos Sanchez, 26, was taken into custody on Monday following videos posted on social media that appeared to show her dripping hot wax onto her children.

The videos were posted from her home in Miami on Sunday.

In the footage, Campos Sanchez told her six-year-old and three-year-old daughters not to be afraid as she used lit candles to drip the melted wax.

She first poured the wax on her own leg, then onto the hands of both girls.

Another video showed Campos Sanchez dancing in her underwear while singing.

She then dropped two pieces of clothing onto the kitchen floor and poured liquid on them before using a lighter to set them on fire. Her daughters were in the kitchen at the time.

According to court documents, the older daughter told investigators that her mother had poured hot liquid from candles onto her, her sister and herself.

The girl also said she and her sister saw their mother burn a shirt, which started the fire while they were in the house.

The children did not suffer visible injuries, though the younger daughter's account of events could not be independently verified by investigators.

Campos Sanchez was not interviewed because she was sedated and placed under a Florida law that allows involuntary psychiatric treatment.

Her husband told authorities that the couple had been having marital problems and that he had been staying at his parents' home.

He said his wife had previously attempted to take her own life.

He also said he had been trying to get custody of the children and had been calling authorities for a week.

After learning about the videos through a friend, he took custody of both daughters.

Campos Sanchez has been charged with first-degree arson, two counts of child neglect and one count of child abuse.

She pleaded not guilty and demanded a jury trial.

She is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Friday.

Her social media accounts frequently featured pictures of her two daughters.

In July, she posted airport photos of the girls wearing matching white shirts and sparkly jackets, writing that they were her reason for everything she did.