The Palm Bay Police Department announced that a Florida mother was charged with murder in the deaths of two of her children. The authorities added that another child was was injured.
Jessica McCarty, 33, of Palm Bay is being held at the Brevard County jail. The woman is also accused of an attempted murder charge. The cause of death of the two children, 6-year-old Philip McCarty and 7-year-old Laci McCarty, had not yet been determined. The third child, 5-month-old Christopher Swist, is in critical condition at the hospital.
The Police said that an autopsy for the two victims has been scheduled. Also, Lt. Mario Augello of the Criminal Investigations Division said that the facts are still being verified, but that the police believes that the mother stabbed her children.
According to the authorities, the investigators are reviewing 911 calls received from McCarty in which she claimed to have killed her children. Police said there were tow 911 calls made on Friday from the home in Palm Bay where the murders took place. Spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez said that one of calls was from the father of the 5-month-old boy who is now fighting for his life.
The first officers to the scene said they saw the mother wielding a knife outside the home. McCarty refused the officers’ requests to put down the knife, police officers shot her with special bullets, which are designed to subdue, but not kill.
Four ambulances arrived at the scene immediately. “She has a bit of history,” said Police Chief Mark Renkens about McCarty.
In 2013, McCarty was working as a certified nursing assistant, when she was arrested for stealing prescription pads and, according to police records. She pleaded guilty after two months of the arrest and was sentenced two two years of community control, as well as three years of drug offender probation. After failing a drug test, she was sent back to county jail for seven days.
The woman failed another test after being released. This time she was sentenced to six months in county jail. Also, she was discharged from the drug court program. According to the neighbors, the family had moved in about half a year ago. They added that the children as seeming to be healthy and happy.
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