A 23-year-old mother has been charged after her two infant daughters were found drowned in a swimming pool in Texas, where authorities indicated cocaine was in their systems.
Laura Nicholson, from Katy, Texas, was arrested following the investigation into the deaths of her two daughters, aged 2 and 3, whose bodies were recovered from a pool on February 11 near Fort Myers, Florida, according to various reports.
The coroner determined that the cause of death for both girls was drowning, combined with acute cocaine intoxication. An investigation revealed the presence of cocaine in the children’s systems as well.
While officials have not disclosed how the toddlers might have come into contact with the drug, a pathologist suggested to investigators that it was likely provided to them or left accessible nearby.
Nicholson was charged on Friday with two counts of reckless injury to a child and was apprehended at a mental health facility on Monday after authorities received a report concerning a woman from Texas, as explained by Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
“Our fugitive unit was actively searching for the suspect at a mental health facility,” he noted.
The tragic events unfolded three months prior when the children’s grandmother discovered them unresponsive in the pool after returning from shopping, prompting her to scream and attempt to rescue them. Investigators conveyed that she also accused Nicholson of drug use.
Reports suggest that the girls’ mother was sleeping on the couch when they accessed the pool area through an unlocked door with a broken latch. Nicholson’s father revealed to authorities that she often fell asleep and had a tendency to neglect her surroundings.
Additionally, Nicholson herself reportedly acknowledged that her children frequently left the house to reach the pool.
Nicholson is now in custody at the Lee County Jail.
“This arrest demonstrates the effective collaboration between the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service, along with law enforcement nationally, to locate and apprehend wanted individuals,” Marceno expressed.
Currently, authorities have not provided more information about the case, which remains under investigation.
