A Winnetka woman charged in connection with the deaths of her twin 3-year-old sons, potentially from exposure to fentanyl, made an initial appearance in a Van Nuys courtroom Tuesday, but her arraignment was delayed.
KNX News' Emily Valdez was at the courthouse, and spoke with some family members who say they are devastated and at a loss for an explanation.
The boy's aunt, Justina, said she has no idea how the boys came in contact with the drug and, "I want people to keep Narcan on hand and just be aware of everything because anything could happen at any moment. For this to happen, it's unbelievable."
Prosecutor Jonathan Hatami has been speaking with the family and said they're very cooperative. "They're very supportive of the prosecution of this case even though it involves their family members as well," said Hatami.
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Jestice James, 22, is facing two counts each of murder and child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, along with allegations of child endangerment, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
The boys were identified in the criminal complaint as Josiah J. and Jestine J.
Bail for James has been set at $4 million. She appeared in court in Van Nuys Tuesday, but her arraignment was put over until July 31.
"The evidence indicates fentanyl was involved in this case," Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami told City News Service.
It will be up to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner to determine what caused the boys' deaths.
In a statement, District Attorney George Gascón said, "These innocent boys reportedly came into contact with fentanyl, an opioid that has wreaked havoc across our communities. This tragedy is part of a disturbing trend where babies and toddlers are increasingly becoming victims of the opioid crisis. The deadly capabilities of fentanyl cannot be overstated, and it is our collective responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
Police and paramedics responded at about 11:20 a.m. Thursday to a home in the 20000 block of Sherman Way, near Winnetka Avenue, where Jestice James found her 3-year-old twin boys "unresponsive," according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The boys were both taken to a hospital, where Josiah was pronounced dead early Thursday afternoon and Jestine was pronounced dead Saturday, according to the District Attorney's Office.
"Preliminary investigation revealed that the children had ingested, or been exposed to, an unknown substance," according to an LAPD statement released Friday. "The mother and other residents of the home were transported to the LAPD Topanga Community Police Station for questioning."
The boys' mother was arrested Thursday night by the LAPD's Juvenile Division and has remained behind bars since then, according to jail records.
Police said the other residents of the home are not being investigated any further.
James faces a potential life prison term if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney's Office.
A witness told KTLA 5 that the boys' parents were hysterical as a neighbor attempted to perform CPR on the children before paramedics arrived.
"I came in, there's a kid sitting on the table and I started giving him CPR, and my friend says, `Oh my God, there's another one,"' neighbor Chris Burko told the station.
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