Funeral held for 2 Detroit kids who died in cold while family gets promise of a home

A group has stepped forward in Detroit to provide a home for the surviving family members of two children who died in a cold van
Pastor Solomon Kinloch speaks during the eulogy for A'millah Currie, 2, and Darnell Currie, Jr., during the funeral services at Triumph Church on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, Detroit. (Clarence Tabb Jr./Detroit News via AP)

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Pastor Solomon Kinloch speaks during the eulogy for A'millah Currie, 2, and Darnell Currie, Jr., during the funeral services at Triumph Church on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, Detroit. (Clarence Tabb Jr./Detroit News via AP)

DETROIT (AP) — A group has stepped forward to provide a home for surviving family members of two Detroit children who died in a cold van in a casino parking garage, an official said.

A funeral was held Thursday for Darnell Currie Jr., 9, and A’millah Currie, 2, who were among five children and two adults in a van that stopped producing heat as the temperature fell far below freezing on Feb. 10.

“It makes you want to break down because that could have been your child. That could have been anybody else’s child,” said Jessica Wiggins, who visited the funeral home Wednesday.

Police said the family had been staying in the vehicle for a few months. Mayor Mike Duggan said the children's mother called a housing hotline in November but apparently wasn't served. He has requested a report on the city's contacts with the family.

Deputy Mayor Melia Howard said a local group has stepped forward to pay rent for a year to house the family.

"It's just important for me to let them know that we're not just here for today. We're going to be with them as long as they need us," Howard told The Detroit News, crying as she spoke at the funeral home.

Tateona Williams, the mother of A'millah Currie, 2, and Darnell Currie, Jr., gets emotional with other siblings before the start of the funeral services at Triumph Church on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Detroit. (Clarence Tabb Jr./Detroit News via AP)

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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and interim police Chief Todd Bettison leave a news conference on Feb. 11, 2025, in Detroit, after speaking about the deaths of two children in a cold vehicle. (AP Photo/Ed White)

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