ROCHESTER, NY – Two sisters are due in court Monday on charges of setting a house fire on Portland Avenue that killed a 5-year-old boy.

Tiakalya, 21, and Taquida Hendrix, 31, are charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson. They were arraigned last week and pleaded not guilty.

The fire broke out around 2 a.m. on Monday, July 29, killing Malakai Stovall, who was home with a babysitter at the time. Firefighters rescued him from the second floor, but he succumbed to his injuries days later in the hospital. 75 percent of his body suffered burns.

The sisters must appear in court for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to hold the defendant accountable for the alleged crime.

At her last court appearance, Malakai’s family wore shirts with his picture on them. News10NBC spoke with Malakai’s mother, Brianna Akers.

“At least I know who it was. You can’t hurt anyone else. I hate that it even came to this. This doesn’t make sense to me. We had so many plans and I just wish it would bring him back,” she said.

The sisters are being held in the Monroe County Jail without bail. If convicted of first-degree arson, the sentence could be 15 years to life in prison. The same applies to second-degree murder. However, since the victim was under 14, the sentence could be life in prison without the possibility of parole.