This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers could discover disturbing.
A New Jersey mom of two was charged with homicide after authorities mentioned she drowned her two younger kids following an episode of “regarding ideas.”
Naomi Elkins, 27, was charged with two counts of homicide, possession of a weapon for an illegal objective, and illegal possession of a weapon in connection to the deaths of her 1-year-old and 3-year-old women, Ocean County prosecutors introduced Wednesday. Her household mentioned in a press release that Elkins had a historical past of extreme psychological sickness. She has not but entered a plea.
Lakewood Township police responded to Elkins’ house at round 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday after emergency responders reported two kids in cardiac arrest and tried first assist, in keeping with the county prosecutors’ launch. The youngsters have been pronounced lifeless on the scene.
Lakewood Police Division
Detectives investigating the incident discovered that each kids had been drowned, and that the 1-year-old had additionally been stabbed, in keeping with the discharge. Elkins was taken into custody with out incident.
Elkins instructed detectives that her husband had left for a enterprise journey the night time earlier than and she or he went to work at an area day care, in keeping with a police affidavit. That very same day, she began having “regarding ideas,” because the affidavit put it, and “spent the night time praying.”
Elkins mentioned that she went to work once more the subsequent day, however when she returned house, “she believed that she wanted to kill the kids for non secular functions,” in keeping with the affidavit.
She then allegedly admitted to stabbing the 1-year-old, however “indicated that she solely barely punctured [the child] with the knife.” Authorities, nevertheless, mentioned the kid had a “deep laceration, in the course of her abdomen.”
In line with the affidavit, Elkins mentioned she then took the 1-year-old to the toilet and held her underwater within the bathtub for 2 to 3 minutes.
Elkins mentioned her 3-year-old bumped into one other rest room and was screaming as a result of she was scared, in keeping with the affidavit. She then ran the water within the bathtub and allegedly positioned the kid’s head underwater for a number of minutes.
“She mentioned that she counted to 50 a number of occasions to make sure she held them underwater for sufficient time,” police wrote within the affidavit.
In accordance the affidavit, Elkins referred to as the Hatzolah Medical Providers, a volunteer emergency medical service that operates in Jewish communities. The Lakewood space is house to a big Orthodox Jewish inhabitants. The Hatzolah responders referred to as native authorities once they have been unable to resuscitate the kids.
The Elkins household mentioned they’re “deeply saddened by the tragic occasions which have occurred involving Naomi Elkins and her two younger kids,” in keeping with a press release shared with JHB by her authorized consultant.
“The unhappy fact is, Naomi Elkins has a well-documented historical past of extreme psychological sickness which has completely performed a significant position in these devastating occasions,” the household’s assertion learn. “Whereas we acknowledge the seriousness of the fees that she is dealing with and respect similar, we additionally consider that it’s vital to acknowledge the unimaginable complexities offered by psychological well being challenges.”
The Lakewood Scoop, an area web site, printed an nameless letter from somebody claiming to be a relative of Elkins. The author requested that any media overlaying the incident “please, please, stress that the mom of the women that dedicated this unthinkable act had a historical past of psychological sickness, particularly psychosis, although she was doing significantly better over the past yr or so.”
“Apparently she tragically skilled some sort of psychotic episode with none warning indicators in any respect,” the letter mentioned. “In actual fact we spent shavuos collectively and she or he gave the impression to be doing nice.”
The killings left members of the world’s Orthodox neighborhood shocked, residents instructed media shops. Herschel Herskowitz, an area activist, instructed the Asbury Park Press that the household is well-known within the space.
“When issues like this occur, individuals go into their shell and don’t discuss it,” Herskowitz mentioned.