Twins turn 3 in hospital after father allegedly tried to drown them at West Haven beach

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Monday was a birthday celebration some thought Gianna and Giovanni might not have.

The twins turned three years old, marking a milestone about a week after police said their father tried to drown them at a West Haven beach.

“I’m very happy and excited to celebrate with them,” their mother, Lourdes Salvant, said.

Their birthday was celebrated inside their room at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Salvant has been by their side since that night.

“I come here crying,” she said. “Devastated. I can’t believe what happened. It was devastating to me.”

West Haven police said in the early hours of June 22, the twins’ father allegedly tried to drown them at Dawson Avenue Beach – driving dozens of miles from where they live in New York.  Salvant said she knew something was wrong and dialed 911 after she returned home from where the kids were nowhere to be found.

She said the twins’ father and her were going through a break-up, and he was in the process of moving out.

“They told me what happened, and I was shocked,” Salvant said.

Two West Haven officers spotted the car and someone in the water. Gianna and Giovanni were pulled to safety.

“I say to God, ‘Thank you, to them because they were here to save the kids,'” Salvant said.

Their father, 41-year-old Romney Desronvil, was arrested and is now facing several charges, including a criminal attempt to commit murder.  As for the twins, Salvant said they’re getting better by the day.

“They’re scared,” she said. “Every time they see someone, they hide. But Gianna is getting better now. Day by day. They’ve been through a lot.”

They’ve found strength through the support they’ve received from those they met in Connecticut and who’ve rallied around their family.

“I feel like I have a second family here in Connecticut,” Salvant said. “I’m very grateful and thankful for them.”

Salvant believes the children will be released from the hospital next week.  She also set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses as the twins recover.

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