The Latest: Arson probed in fire where toddler found dead

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) - The Latest on a fire that destroyed the Joliet Township house where a toddler was found dead (all times local):

1:55 p.m.

Arson is being investigated as the possible cause of a Joliet Township fire that destroyed the house where a toddler was found dead

East Joliet Fire Chief Robert Scholtes tells the Chicago Sun-Times said arson was "most likely" the cause of the fire, although it remained under investigation.

Scholtes says fire crews were called about 3 a.m. Saturday to the home where 16-month-old Semaj (sa-MAH'-jay) Crosby was found dead under a couch April 26. They let the house burn to the ground.

The Will County Sheriff's Office says an arson investigator from the State Fire Marshall's Office will try to determine the cause and origin of the fire.

A funeral for the girl was held Friday.

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9:57 a.m.

Authorities say the house where a toddler was found dead has burned to the ground one day after her funeral.

Scholtes says fire crews were called about 3 a.m. Saturday to the Joliet Township home where 16-month-old Semaj (sa-MAH'-jay) Crosby was found dead under a couch April 26.

Firefighters found flames and smoke in a back bedroom and let the structure burn because it had become a public nuisance. The home had been deemed uninhabitable.

A funeral for the girl was held Friday, Her disappearance had sparking a massive hunt involving volunteers, law enforcement officers and bloodhounds. The Will County Sheriff's Department said Thursday her death remains "an ongoing criminal investigation."

The cause of the fire is also under investigation.