3 children found dead inside LA home; mother detained, police say

LOS ANGELES — Three children under the age of three were found dead inside an East Los Angeles home Monday, and their mother has been detained for questioning as a “person of interest,” authorities confirmed to multiple media outlets.

A family member called 911 saying two children were not breathing, and first responders located three unresponsive children in a bedroom who were pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving measures performed by deputies and paramedics, Lt. Chuck Calderaro with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department told KTLA.

>> Read more trending news

The children were described as two boys and one girl, the youngest of which was roughly six months old, neighbors told KABC.

According to the TV station, investigators have classified the deaths as “suspicious,” but there were no obvious signs of trauma, and no prior reports of abuse or child neglect have been confirmed.

The children’s 28-year-old mother, who has not been publicly identified, was in the home at the time the call was placed, but their biological father was not, KTLA reported.

Calderaro said that a cause of death has not been determined, the outlet reported.

Neighbors told KABC that they often saw the mother walking her children and never witnessed any signs of trouble.

Meanwhile, family members, who had gathered Sunday, expressed shock at the tragedy.

“She was a good mother ... She didn’t have no problems with them,” Arturo Cerezo, the children’s uncle told KABC. “She seemed fine ... I don’t know what really happened, what went through her mind.”

©2021 Cox Media Group