Lakewood mother stabbed and drowned her two young children

Lakewood Woman Faces Murder Charges in Deaths of Her Two Children

LAKEWOOD, NJ – Police are continuing to investigate a heinous crime by a mother who killed her two children on Tuesday inside their Lakewood home.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced the arrest of Naomi Elkins, a 27-year-old resident of Lakewood, on charges related to the tragic deaths of her two young children. The incident, which occurred on June 25, 2024, has led to Elkins facing two counts of murder, alongside charges of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

At approximately 4:50 p.m. on the same day, Lakewood Township Police Department officers were dispatched to a home on Shenandoah Drive following reports of two children in cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, officers discovered Hatzolah Medical Services personnel attempting unsuccessfully to revive the children, ages one and three. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The subsequent investigation, carried out by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, determined that the victims were Elkins’ children. The probe revealed harrowing details, indicating that the one-year-old had been stabbed and both children had been drowned.

Elkins was arrested at the scene and has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing. Prosecutor Billhimer commended the collaborative efforts of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office in handling this distressing case.

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