An Arizona mother has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder after her baby and toddler were found dead in a vehicle.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s office, 21-year-old Brittany Velasquez is suspected of murdering her 10 month old daughter and two year old son in Superior, located approximately 60 miles (97 km) east of Phoenix.
The children were found strapped into car seats in a vehicle at the family home and a spokesperson for the Sheriff, Navideh Forghani, said there was evidence of foul play found at the scene, but did not elaborate further.
Local Superior police found the bodies late last night and called detectives from the Sheriff’s office to assist with the investigation.
Autopsies are set to be conducted on the bodies to determine exact cause of death. The victims’ names have not yet been released.
The local Fox10 news station reported that relatives had repeatedly called child safety authorities to tell them Ms Velasquez’s children were in danger due to her “unstable” mental state.
The victims’ grandmother told the local CBS News station that “ she feels that the system has failed her”.
Ms Foghani did not comment on the suspect’s mental state or how the children ended up being placed in the vehicle. She also did not comment on a possible motive for Ms Velasquez.
It is not known if Ms Velazquez has an attorney who can comment on the case.
The rural town of Superior has a population of less than 3,000.
