Guerdine Francois says she fell asleep around 3:00 on Thursday afternoon in her Union, N.J., home as her two children were watching TV. When she woke up at 6:45, her children were missing and she called the police.
Officers responded to find 3-year-old Kendall and 5-year-old Kenley Francois, Guerdine's kids, on the bottom of her neighbor's pool. They were transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead at 8:17 p.m., according to a press release from the Union County Prosecutor's Office.
Now investigators are trying to fill in the missing pieces. The case has been classified a homicide, indicating a possibility for criminal charges. "We're looking for additional evidence," said Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow to CBS, "to determine whether or not there was any neglect by any party here."
The brothers apparently climbed over a neighbor's four-foot-tall fence while their mother slept, then entered the pool.
According to the Daily Mail, police are pursuing a search warrant to investigate the home. The paper adds that Ms Francois has maintained her innocence and emphasizes the tragedy of the situation.
This drowning marks the fourth so far this June for young children in New Jersey, reports The Star-Ledger.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.