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Hillsborough, N.J., Mother Charged in Deaths of Sons, Ages 5 and 7

Prosecutors say preliminary findings indicate she caused the deaths, with autopsy results pending.

Overview

  • The children's father called 911 around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, reporting he found the boys unconscious and saying his wife "did something to them," according to prosecutors.
  • Officers found the children, ages 5 and 7, unresponsive in a bedroom of the Shell Court home, and lifesaving efforts failed before they were pronounced dead at the scene.
  • Priyatharsini Natarajan, 35, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
  • She is being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing as investigators from multiple county units and the medical examiner continue the case.
  • The boys’ identities have not been released pending confirmation, the school district deployed crisis counseling at Sunnymead Elementary, and authorities asked the public for tips via phone or the STOPit app.