Mother arrested in deaths of 3 children in Los Angeles home

The mother of three children who were found dead inside a Los Angeles home was arrested on suspicion of murder, authorities said Tuesday.

Sandra Chico, 28, was being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility on $2 million bail, according to online jail records. She is scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

It was unclear if Chico had a lawyer. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The victims were found Monday afternoon after deputies responded to a report that two children at an East Los Angeles home weren’t breathing, according to the sheriff’s department.

Deputies and paramedics found one girl and two boys, the sheriff’s department said. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The coroner’s office identified the three children as Mia Camila Rodirguez, 4; Mason Mateo Rodriguez, 3; and Milan Mateas Rodriguez, 1 month, according to NBC Los Angeles. Their cause of death was not immediately released by authorities.

Sheriff’s Lt. Charles Calderaro saidthere were “no obvious signs” of trauma, the Los Angeles Times reported. In a statement, the sheriff’s department added there were no prior reports of abuse or neglect at the home.

Neighbors left candles, flowers and other items outside the family’s home in memory of the children, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Esther Perez, the family’s neighbor, called the site “heartbreaking.”

“Just knowing the three kids you know are gone now,” she said.