Linda Nguyen is the 47-year-old mother from Southern California who has been accused of murdering her two daughters, including one who had special needs. The crime occurred in Ontario, California.
Both girls – one 4-months-old and the other 14-years-old – were found deceased in the family garage in the community east of Los Angeles, police said. “OPD has placed Linda Nguyen, age 47, under arrest for the deaths of her two daughters in the 500 Blk of E. Tam o’Shanter St.,” Ontario police wrote on Twitter.
“Nguyen remains at a local hospital but will be booked at West Valley Detention Center on two counts of murder once she has been medically cleared.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Say the Mother Was the ‘Lone Suspect’ & the Father Discovered the Children in the Garage
Linda Nguyen
It was a horrific sequence of events.
Earlier, in an August 20, 2019 press release, police identified the mother as the “lone suspect.” They had not named her at that time. Police wrote in a news release that they were called to the 500 block of East Tam o’Shanter Street August 19 just after 4 p.m. for “unknown trouble.”
They discovered “two deceased children in the garage of the residence.” The father was not home at the time of the incident. He called police “when he discovered his two children deceased, and his wife unresponsive,” said the news release.
2. Linda Nguyen Left Behind Two Suicide Notes, Police Say
Ontario Police find, 1-month old and a 14-year-old dead in home’s garage; mother unresponsive and hospitalized in the 500 block of East Tam o’Shanter St. in Ontario on Tuesday, Aug 20, 2019. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Initial responding officers gave medical aid but couldn’t revive the children. The mother was taken to a local hospital for treatment due to an “apparent attempted suicide,” according to the law enforcement press release.
Investigators “worked throughout the night and have discovered strong evidence leading them to believe the mother of the children is responsible for their deaths,” police wrote. They added that “among the evidence is a suicide note left at the scene.”
According to Ontario Police Sgt. Bill Russell, two suicide notes detailing Nguyen’s alleged plans were discovered. He said he couldn’t discuss the details.
3. Police Say they Aren’t Certain of the Motive But Added That Linda Nguyen Was Depressed
Ontario Police continue their investigation into the death of two children in the 500 block of East Tam o’Shanter St. The mother has been identified as the lone suspect in the homicide.
Police say they have not yet determined a motive.
However, they added, “There is information indicating the mother was dealing with depression prior to the incident.”
The father had last seen his children when he left for work that morning, KTLA reported.
“We do know the mother was dealing with depression before,” Russell said in a news conference. He added that the father had been cooperative with police. Russell didn’t know whether it was post-partum depression and said he couldn’t reveal whether she was being treated.
The father is “distraught,” he added. “…He’s lost everything.”
4. The Children’s Causes of Death Have Not Been Released & One Had Special Needs
Police say a teenager & an infant were found dead inside a home on Tam O’Shanter in Ontario this afternoon after their father called 9-1-1. A woman was also taken to the hospital where she is listed in stable condition. Father at PD being questioned. @CBSLA
The official cause of death of each child will not be known until the San Bernardino County Coroner completes autopsies. Russell said carbon monoxide was ruled out as a cause of death. He said there were “visible injuries” but wouldn’t detail them.
Police said the mother had not “been able to provide a statement to police due to her current medical condition.”
One of the children had special needs, Russell said, but the nature of those needs was not clear.
5. There Was a Struggle at the Scene, Police Say
#BREAKING: 2 children found dead at a home in Ontario. 500 block of East Tam O’Shanter Street. Avoid area. t.co/UnjKhR4vsp
Although they haven’t released the cause of death, police did indicate the children struggled for their lives.
“We do know that there was a struggle at the scene, which may have played a factor in the deaths,” Russell said in a news conference. “There were visible injuries on the children.” He declined to specify if there was a weapon.
He added: “Right now, what we can tell you is that the children were intentionally killed. It appears as though the mother is the one responsible for that act.”
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