The 5-year-old twins who tragically perished in a Bronx apartment on Monday had been ill for almost two weeks and had been vomiting, police said.
The heart-wrenching details surrounding the sudden and shocking death of the Bronx siblings continued to unfold on Tuesday. According to police, the mother of the boy and girl discovered the children unresponsive in bed inside of the 6th floor apartment located at 240 175 St. shortly before 11:20 a.m.
The 911 operator instructed the distraught mother to place the children on the floor before attempting CPR. However, despite the efforts of both the mother and first responders, the twins could not be saved. They were pronounced dead at 11:30 a.m.
The mother had last seen them alive at around 5 a.m., yet the twins’ bodies were cold by the time the mother found them that morning, leading to investigators mulling over the possibility that they had perished sometime during the night.
“The male had been experiencing cold symptoms, had a runny nose with green mucus coming out of it and had been sent home from school last Tuesday,” Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “The child was vomiting at school and was sent home.”
The young girl had also been vomiting and was also suffering an ear infection. Police say the child had also reportedly been “acting irrationally by spitting and biting at school.”
“Both were found foaming at the mouth and nose at the time of their discovery,” Chief Kenny said.
While police say the medical examiner will make the final determination regarding the official cause of death, police say that the bodies did not show any signs of strangulation or trauma. Cops also conducted a search warrant but did not find any illegal drugs or paraphernalia. There was also no sign of carbon monoxide.
The parents, immigrants from Ghana, are currently not facing any charges in relation to the deaths. The father who works as a sleep-in healthcare aid was not at home at the time of the deaths. However, police did report that the children did not receive medical treatment over the course of their sickness.
“As of right now, no indication of criminality. The apartment was stocked with food, stocked with baby clothes,” Chief Kenny said.
Both twins were also apparently diagnosed with special needs, yet authorities did not comment on specifics. The shock from the loss has purportedly left the mother hospitalized.
Authorities are now waiting for the toxicology results.
