New Jersey mother charged with murder in deaths of her 2 young children
27-year-old Naomi Elkins is accused of drowning her 1-year-old and 3-year-old.
LAKEWOOD TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- A mother in New Jersey has been charged with murder in the deaths of her two young children, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday.
Naomi Elkins, 27, of Lakewood Township, is accused of killing her 1-year-old child and 3-year-old child.
Investigators say she stabbed the 1-year-old and drowned both children.
According to documents, Elkins said she had been having "concerning thoughts" before the crime.
Lakewood Township police responded to a home on Shenandoah Drive around 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving a report of two children in cardiac arrest. Officers attempted to give lifesaving aid to the children but were unsuccessful.
They were both pronounced dead at the scene.
The family lives in an apartment in the basement of the home. Elkins' husband was away on a work trip at the time.
Elkins appeared in front of a judge on Wednesday afternoon, acknowledging the charges against her.
Neighbors, many of whom are members of the Orthodox Jewish community, say the family moved in a few months ago.
They told us there was a gathering held with a rabbi and interventionists from Chai Lifeline, a national cross and trauma support organization, on Tuesday night.
"When I heard about the story I was reeling. There was no way for me to reconcile it to make any sense," said Yehoshua Brodsky, Director of Family Services for Chai Lifeline PA/NJ Region.
Brodsky says the priority was helping families process what happened, and also working with those closest to the victims.
"We've been very involved directly with the family, both in terms of immediate family members, siblings, grandparents cousins and all of those that were impacted," Brodsky said.
Brodsky said they're fielding about 30 calls an hour as people are reaching out about this incident and figuring out how to cope or talk to their children.
