Death of mother and three young children in Connecticut is murder-suicide, police say

‘A truly horrible event,’ Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito says

A mother strangled her three young children in their Danbury, Connecticut, home before dying by suicide, police say.

The bodies of Sonia Loja, 36, and her three children Junior Panjon, 12, Joselyn Panjon, 10, and Jonael Panjon, 5, were discovered at around 6.30pm on Wednesday night, Danbury Police Detective Lieutenant Mark Williams said in a statement posted to Facebook.

Police were called to at an address in Whaley St, Danbury, for a welfare check by a man who was distraught and crying, Chief Patrick Ridenhour told the Danbury News-Times.

They found the children’s bodies inside the property. Ms Loja’s body was found in a shed in the backyard, the News-Times reported.

On Thursday morning, police said a preliminary investigation had found the children died by strangulation, and said the mother’s cause of death was asphyxia by hanging.

Two other adults who lived at the address were not present when police arrived, they said.

Police say Sonia Loja killed her three children before taking her own life (Facebook)

Police outside a Danbury home where a mother and three children died in what police say was a murder-suicide (NBC Connecticut)

Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito, who visited the home to offer his support, said in a statement it was “a truly horrible event”.

“Our community grieves for the innocent lives taken from us. We will get through this together,” he said.

The family members are being offered support from local mental health services, police, and education agencies.

“As this is also an emotionally damaging incident for first responders, services have been extended to public safety personnel who responded to the scene,” Detective Lieutenant Williams added.

Autopsies are due to be carried out by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington on Thursday morning.