Three Children Die After Police Find Them Unresponsive On Coney Island Beach; Authorities Believe Mother May Have Drowned Them

Police are questioning a mother in New York after her three children died after being found on a beach at Coney Island.

Police in New York believe a 30-year-old mother may have drowned her three young children after they were found unresponsive on Monday at the water’s edge near Coney Island’s boardwalk at W. 35 Street. Police found the mother, who was barefoot and soaked with water, just about two miles away. Authorities believe the children’s deaths were premeditated, and they are now seeking insight from her neighbors and relatives, ABC News reports.

Police say the woman was “nearly catatonic” when they talked to her on Monday, and detectives believe postpartum depression may have played a role in the ordeal. Her children were ages 7, 4 and 3 months old. All three children were pronounced dead at Coney Island Hospital. Police believe the mother drowned the children, but their causes of death are still being investigated.

Their alleged drownings happened at around 1:40 a.m. when a relative called the police, saying they were concerned about the mother harming the children. The mother has no previous history of being emotionally unstable. However, she does have prior domestic incidents that include harassment and aggravated harassment, none of which were escalated into formal charges.