
Hennepin County Medical Center doctors provided an update Thursday on the older of two sisters severely burned when the van they were in caught fire in a Fridley parking lot.
Six-year-old Ty'rah White died Wednesday from severe smoke inhalation and burns to 60 percent of her body. Dr. Fred Endorf says 9-year-old Taraji remains in critical condition on a ventilator.
"A lot of this is supporting her lungs while they recover on their own," he said. "The timeframe is hard to predict. That can be days to weeks."
The girls' mother, Essie McKenzie, says the loss of younger sister Ty'rah is especially tough considering it was almost her birthday.
"I had so much planned ahead for her that we're going to still continue to do for her," McKenzie said. "Just had a bucket list of eveyrhting she loved to do and still wanted to do."
McKenzie says the 6-year-old was wise beyond her years and "so openly bright."
Meanwhile, the owner of the van that originally caught fire, 70-year-old Roberto Hipolito, made his first court appearance Thursday. He remains jailed on a charge of second-degree manslaughter with bail set at $100,000. Prosecutors say he put a stove that he just finished cooking on and wasn't cooled down enough yet in the trunk of his van, then covered it with pillows and blankets, then went into the store. It caught fire in several minutes.