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Mom admits she drowned twin boys in bathtub, tried to kill third child

Posted at 10:45 AM, Aug 31, 2015
and last updated 2015-08-31 10:46:31-04

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Police say a 22-year-old Avondale mother confessed to deliberately drowning her twin sons in a bathtub Sunday.

Officers arrested Mireya Alejandra Lopez after her 2-year-old boys were rushed to different hospitals, according to KPHO.

The boys’ grandmother called 911 at about noon. When first responders arrived at the home, the children were on a bed in a bedroom, said Sgt. Brandon Busse of the Avondale Police Department.

The working theory was the boys drowned in a bathtub, Avondale Fire Chief Ron Deadman said.

Busse later said that Lopez told officers “that she intentionally drowned both of her twin boys in the bathtub.”

But that is not all.

“Mireya also stated to investigators that she also attempted to drown another child in the home but she was stopped by family …,” Busse said in an email to media outlets.

That child was not injured, and no information about him or her was available.

The twins’ father, Sam Avitia, said he had joint custody of the boys and was scheduled to get them Friday. He also said Lopez suffered from depression and anxiety but has never threatened anyone and never shown any violent tendencies.

Video from the scene showed officers escorting Lopez, who was in handcuffs, from the home. She was booked on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide.

Although Busse said Lopez confessed to drowning her boys, he did not provide any other details. It is not clear what happened before the kids were found and their grandmother called.

Busse said the investigation was ongoing and that he would release more details as they became available.