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Cheverly Woman Charged With Murdering Her 2 Children

CHEVERLY, Md. (WJZ) -- Two children are pronounced dead after they were found having difficulty breathing at a home in Prince George's County. Now police say the children were murdered.

Rochelle Ritchie has more on who police have in custody and the heartbreaking scene neighbors woke up to.

The 24-year-old mother of the children is now faced with two counts of first-degree murder.

It's a devastating story of murder after a woman is charged with killing her two children at a home on the 6200-block of Forest Road in Cheverly. That's where Prince George's County Police say they found two children barely breathing after a frantic call to 911.

"The children were removed and taken to a local hospital, where they have both been pronounced deceased," said Det. Bernard Jones, Cheverly Police spokesperson.

Now the children's mother, 24-year-old Sonya Spoon, is charged with their murder. Police say she admitted to suffocating the children, one-year-old Ayden Spoon and three-year-old Kayla Thompson.

Neighbors who did not want to be identified described the scene to WJZ just after 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

"My two oldest woke me up when they noticed all the flashing lights from the police cars and ambulances that were out here," she said. "They kind of made a big commotion because they saw one of the children being brought out."

Little is known about the mother, Sonya Spoon, but according to her Twitter account, she was adopted from Russia and brought to the United States when she was three-years-old.

"There's no need for the community to be afraid. This doesn't appear to be a random act and detectives are working on a motive at this time," Det. Jones said.

Spoon is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Neighbors say how a mother could kill her own children is unfathomable.

"You hear about kids having accidents all the time and your heart goes out to the families. But then with situations like this, it's a hard pill to swallow," one neighbor said.

Sonya Spoon is being held without bond.

Police do not have a motive as of yet for the crime.

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