Mom charged with murder of 5-year-old twins found vomiting, foaming at the mouth in NYC apartment: cops
By Tina Moore, Larry Celona, Amanda Woods,
2024-04-10
The mother of the 5-year-old twins found vomiting and foaming at the mouth after they were smothered to death inside their Bronx apartment late last year has been indicted in their murders, the NYPD said.
Gloria Asamoah, 42, is being held in the psych ward – nearly four months after her son and daughter, George and Gianna Kantanka, were found lifeless on the living room floor inside the family’s unit on East 175th Street near Weeks Avenue in Mount Hope, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters Tuesday.
“This time we have an arrest warrant for mom,” Kenny said at a media briefing. “She’s back in the psych ward. She’s not free to leave at any given time. She’s there until doctors just clear her, and at that point, she will be taken into custody by the NYPD.”
“She’s already been indicted for multiple counts, felony charges including murder, times two for both children.”
She was not yet in custody by late Wednesday morning.
Investigators initially believed that the children’s death had been a tragedy – with no foul play suspected.
The family had no prior domestic incident reports or open cases with the city’s Administration for Children’s Services, Kenny said.
“There was food in the fridge, plenty of clothing for the kids,” Kenny said. “School interviews resulted in the teacher stating that the mom was very involved with the kids and taking an active role in their lives.
“Neighbor interviews described her as a loving mother,” he added. “We interviewed the dad, no signs of trouble. This is one of our cases why we always say that information is preliminary and subject to change.”
The tables turned on March 13 when the city medical examiner’s office ruled that both George and Gianna died by smothering, and the twins’ deaths were officially deemed homicides.
The siblings — “special needs” children who were diagnosed with autism, according to Kenny — had been ailing and stayed home from school the day both were found dead.
The boy had been sick for as long as two weeks with cold symptoms and was sent home from school the week before.
His sister had been suffering from an ear infection, and had been vomiting and “acting irrational,” the mother told police, with the behavior described as “biting and spitting at school,” Kenny said.
Law enforcement sources said the twins’ mother was so distressed over her children’s deaths that she had to be hospitalized for observation.
“She’s from Ghana,” Kenny said. “She came to this country when she was 23 years old. She lived in several states prior to moving to the Bronx with her husband of 10 years.”
The kids’ father — who was at work at the time in Port Chester — rushed home after learning what had happened, authorities and sources said.
He will not face charges, according to Kenny.
“I’m not good,” the distraught dad told The Post a day after the deaths. “I lost my two kids. Not good.”
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