A New Jersey mother of two has been charged with murder after allegedly drowning both of her young daughters.
Naomi Elkins, 27, of Lakewood, was arrested and charged with two counts of murder, possession of a weapon and other offenses relating to the deaths of her two kids.
Officers had been called to an address on Shenandoah Drive in the New Jersey town, which is known for its large Orthodox Jewish population, to reports of two children in cardiac arrest.
Officers arrived to find the two children, aged one and three, being given lifesaving aid by Hatzolah Medical Services, a Jewish volunteer ambulance program.
The two were pronounced dead at the scene, with an investigation determining that the one-year-old was stabbed and that both children had been drowned by Elkins.
Sources told NBC10 that the children were drowned in the bathtub at the address.
Footage captured at the scene shows investigators coming and going and removing items from the home before packing them into a Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
Authorities said that Elins was taken into custody ‘without incident’ at the scene and was taken to the Ocean County Jail where is she awaiting a detention hearing.
According to jail records, Elkins is married and also has a masters degree. It remains unclear when she will appear in court.
The shocking murders happened in a typically quiet Orthodox Jewish community, which is home to the world’s largest yeshiva outside of Israel.
The Beth Medrash Govoha is a educational facility which focuses on the study of the Torah.
According to a report by the Jewish News Syndicate in 2019, half of the residents are Orthodox Jews.