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A mother from New Jersey faces murder charges following allegations that she drowned her two daughters, authorities report. 27-year-old Naomi Elkins has been arrested on charges including murder and illegal possession of a weapon after her children, ages one and three, were found drowned on Tuesday, with the youngest also bearing stab wounds.
The tragedy unfolded in Elkins’ home in Lakewood, situated an hour south of Newark, when authorities were called to the residence Tuesday evening after reports emerged of the children experiencing cardiac arrest, as per NBC Philadelphia.
Despite attempts by emergency personnel to save the girls, both passed away at the scene.
Elkins is now detained without the possibility of bail and is charged with two counts each of murder and unlawful weapon possession, based on records from Ocean County. Elkins, who is married and possesses a master’s degree, is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Wednesday afternoon, with a subsequent detention hearing on Monday morning, NJ.com reports.
Following the incident, the area around the home was not cordoned off, and police presence was minimal by early Wednesday.
A nearby resident recounted seeing a heavy police and ambulance presence on the evening of the incident, with attempts to perform CPR visible, according to News 12 New Jersey.
This incident occurs in the wake of another attempted drowning the previous week in New Haven, Connecticut, where a father was apprehended after allegedly trying to drown his children in the Long Island Sound. A police officer, responding to screams, rescued the children who have since been released from the ICU, reports WTNH.