An immigrant family is dealing with the sudden, tragic, and mysterious death of 5-year-old twins this holiday season. The Ghanaian mother of the two children — a boy and a girl — discovered the bodies of her babies in their shared Bronx apartment around 11 a.m. on Monday.
She called authorities, and when the NYPD and FDNY arrived on the scene, the children were pronounced dead.
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The twins' mother called authorities when she found them that morning.
In the days prior, the twins had been sent home from school for being sick, NBC New York reports. That Monday, their mother called police to report that they were unresponsive. There are still many unanswered questions about the twins’ illness.
Though they had been sick for many days, and staying home from school, the extent of their symptoms and their diagnosis is unknown.
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A toxicology report is still pending.
Authorities noted that the children were foaming at the nose and mouth when they were pronounced dead. Rigor mortis had already set in. Their mother said she last saw them alive around 5 a.m. Toxicology reports have been ordered in their deaths, but the results are still pending, per NBC 4 New York. The children were not tested for COVID-19.
The NYPD found no signs of foul play or injuries to the children’s bodies. There is no history of domestic violence associated with anyone in the home. The FDNY found no signs of carbon monoxide.
The father urged the mother to take the children to the emergency room.
Their father, who works as a health care professional, had urged the mother to take the children to the emergency room before their deaths, sources say. The father was not home when the children were found. After he rushed home from work, he was questioned by police. The mother was admitted to the hospital for shock and emotional trauma.
Authorities say the mother seemed to be attentive and that this appears to be a medical tragedy.
A law enforcement official said the death seems to be a medical tragedy, pending autopsy results. The twins’ mother was said to have been actively involved in the children’s medical care and schooling. The care and effort she put into raising them was also reflected in their behavior.
Pastor Randholf Andujar runs a food pantry on Mondays in the basement of the apartment building where the family lived. He said the mother and twins were in line every week.
“She was really sweet, always taking care of them. They were respectful, the lady was respectful," Andujar told NBC 4 New York. "Every time they’d see you, they would hug you … nice kids. It's just heartbreaking."
