A New York man reportedly tried to drown his two young children on a Connecticut beach on Saturday but was thwarted by a group of heroic police officers who rescued the children from the water.
Romney Deslonville, 41, of Queens, was arrested in West Haven while plotting to commit a “heinous act” and charged with attempted murder, West Haven police said. It said in a release.
Police said officers were patrolling the area of Ocean and Dawson avenues around 2:30 a.m. when they noticed a Nissan SUV parked on the beach and heard “loud screams” coming from the ocean.
As officers approached, they saw a man and two young children in the water, and as officers waded in to try to assist, Deslonville pulled the children out to sea and yelled at the officers to “stand back.”
“At this point it was apparent the man was deliberately attempting to drown the children,” police said.
Officers immediately jumped into the water and headed toward the Deslonville and the children, who were about 100 yards from shore, while other officers and firefighters went into the water in a fireboat.
The first officers to arrive rescued the two children and other officers helped lead them back to shore using a human chain.
The children, all under the age of 3, remain in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, but their condition is improving. The New Haven Register reported..
West Haven Police Chief Joseph Perno told reporters at a news conference that the children’s mother was in New York on Friday night but had arrived in New Haven by Saturday afternoon.
He said police and firefighters who responded to the scene had been given time off to recover, both physically and mentally. Three officers were treated for minor injuries.
West Haven Mayor Dorinda Boller said at a news conference Saturday that the two officers who were first on the scene were the children’s “guardian angels.”
West Shore Fire Chief Steven Scafariello grew emotional as he described the horrific scene and its impact on rescue workers, according to the Register.
“We all got into this job to help people,” he said, “and when we see a child helpless, it really breaks our hearts for all of us.”
Approximately 22 minutes passed from the time the fire department received the call until the children arrived at the hospital.
Deseronville has been charged with two counts each of attempted murder and risking injury.
