NJ mother arrested for allegedly drowning young daughters in bathtub
A Lakewood, New Jersey, mother has been arrested in the killings of her two young daughters, both of whom were allegedly drowned in the bathtub of her Ocean County home, officials announced Wednesday.
Naomi Elkins, 27, was taken into custody Tuesday night and charged with two counts of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon, according to a press release from Ocean County prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.
Police were called to Elkins’ home in Lakewood late Tuesday afternoon to investigate reports of two children suffering cardiac arrest.
When officers arrived on the scene around 4:50 p.m., first responders from Hatzolah Medical Services were already working to resuscitate two unresponsive little girls, ages 1 and 3 years old. Despite their lifesaving efforts, both children were pronounced dead on the scene a short time later, according to the release.
“A subsequent investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, revealed that both victims were Elkins’ children,” Billhimer said, praising each agency for their quick work in the case.
Authorities concluded the girls were drowned, and that the 1-year-old had also been stabbed.
“Continuing investigation revealed that Elkins was responsible for the deaths of both of her children,” the prosecutor added.
Billhimer did not provide further details, but a source told NBC Philadelphia that Elkins drowned her daughters in the bathtub.
Elkins was taken into custody without incident and remains behind bars at the Ocean County Jail. She appeared virtually before a judge Wednesday afternoon.
A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday, and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
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