Toddlers killed by their own mother in Lakewood, New Jersey, prosecutors say
LAKEWOOD, N.J. -- A Lakewood, New Jersey mother is accused of killing her own children. They were 1 and 3 years old.
Law enforcement sources say Naomi Elkins drowned the children in the bathtub of her home on Shenandoah Drive on Tuesday. The Ocean County Prosecutor said the 1-year-old was also stabbed.
Elkins, 27, appeared in court Wednesday to face murder charges. She said a few words as her attorney listened, and answered "yeah" when the judge asked if she understood the charges against her.
Tragedy on Shenandoah Drive in Lakewood
The prosecutor's office said Lakewood Police responded to a call about two children in cardiac arrest shortly before 5 p.m. on Shenandoah Drive.
Officers arrived to find Hatzolah Medical Services performing CPR on the children, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators determined Elkins was responsible for their deaths. She was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where she is awaiting a detention hearing.
Elkins was charged with two counts of murder and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Lakewood community shaken by incident
Lakewood is located in Ocean County, about 35 miles east of Trenton. Video from the scene appears to show a multi-story home with a garage and two vehicles in the driveway. A basketball hoop and children's toys can also be seen in the yard.
Most people in the tight-knit community didn't want to speak about the unimaginable accusations.
"Everyone is visibly shaken," one woman said. "I just don't understand how somebody could do this to a 1- and 3-year-old."
A few people said off-camera that Elkins' husband was out of state when the tragedy occurred.
"This is a very united community. I can't imagine how the neighbors are feeling and how other people are doing," the woman said.
Elkins' attorney told CBS New York she has a "well-documented history of severe mental illness."
She is scheduled to be back in court for a detention hearing on July 1.