A mother strangled her three young children to death before hanging herself in a horror triple-murder suicide in Connecticut, it’s been revealed.
Mom Sonia Loja killed her three kids – Junior Panjon, 12, Joselyn Panjon, 10, and Jonael Panjon, 5 – at home before she then took her own life, police confirmed today.
When officers arrived at the scene on Whaley Street, Danbury, yesterday evening, they found the 36-year-old mother’s dead body in a shed in the backyard.
Police were called to the scene after a ‘distraught and crying’ man found the children’s dead bodies in the house.
Loja and her three kids lived at the home with two other adults – who were not at the address when police arrived on Tuesday evening.
REVEALED: Mother Sonia Loja, 36, (pictured) who strangled her three children to death at their home in Connecticut
Loja (pictured) strangled her three young children to death before hanging herself in a horror triple-murder suicide
The scene at Whaley Street, Danbury in Connecticut today after three children Junior Panjon, 12, Joselyn Panjon, 10, and Jonael Panjon, 5, were killed by their mother
Police said that no one was arrested following the four deaths, and there is no greater threat to the public
Police cars locked off the road yesterday after the three young children were found dead. When officers arrived, they also found the mom’s body in a shed in the backyard
Detective Captain Mark Williams said in a statement today: ‘We can now confirm the identities of the deceased as Sonia Loja, 36, Junior Panjon, 12, Joselyn Panjon, 10, and Jonael Panjon, 5.
‘Ms. Loja is the mother of the three children, and they all resided at 10 Whaley Street. The children all appear to have died by strangulation, and the mother’s suspected cause of death is asphyxia by hanging.
‘Pending an official autopsy, preliminary findings indicate that Ms. Loja strangled her three children before killing herself. However, this is still an active investigation.
‘Investigators had learned that the mother and children lived at the residence with two other adults, who were not present when the police arrived. They and other extended family members have been contacted and advised of the incident.
‘The Mayor’s Office and the City’s Police, Fire, Health, Education, Emergency Management, and Health Departments, along with Nuvance Health have coordinated efforts to provide services to the family and friends of the deceased.
‘As this is also an emotionally damaging incident for first responders, services have been extended to public safety personnel who responded to the scene.
‘An autopsy of the deceased is scheduled for this morning at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington, CT.
‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims.’
Mayor Dean Esposito, who responded to the scene to offer support, states, ‘A truly horrible event occurred in our city yesterday and we mourn the tragic loss of life. In the coming days, mental health and counseling services will be provided through collaboration with the Danbury Public Schools and the City of Danbury.
‘Our community grieves for the innocent lives taken from us. We will get through this together’.
There is still a prominent police presence on the street this morning, after the horrid find yesterday evening
Yesterday, chief of police Patrick Ridenhour said: ‘At approximately 6:33 pm officers responded to a well-being check call at 10 Whaley St. The caller was distraught and crying.
‘Upon arrival officers went inside the single family residence and discovered three deceased persons, all juveniles.
‘While conducting a further check of the premises they found a deceased female in a shed in the backyard.’
Ridenhour confirmed that the incident in Danbury – which is around 50 miles northeast of New York City – appears to be isolated, and there is no greater danger to the public.
He also told NBC Connecticut: ‘We’re not going to leave any stone unturned.
‘It’s an extremely difficult time for many of our officers, especially those who had to go inside.’
One neighbor Tom Neville, who is one of the 86,000 people living in the city of Danbury, said that the event has rattled the locals in what is usually a quiet area.
He told the local paper: ‘At 5 o’clock tonight, I was watering my flowers and nothing. Nothing looked like suspicious was going on or anything.’
Danbury, Connecticut – where the triple-murder suicide took place – is around 50 miles northeast of New York City
Officers found the body of the mother in the shed in the backyard, it was revealed
The three children died from strangulation, cops confirmed today
Another neighbor, who remained anonymous, told News12 Connecticut that ‘they’d often see the kids playing at a park nearby.’
This comes after just weeks after Connecticut woman Shelby Dodson was allegedly killed by her husband George Dodson in a domestic abuse attack.
Dodson is accused on stabbing and beating his wife to death – before setting the house in New London on fire with her and their one-year-old child still inside.
Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence CEO, Meghan Stanlon, previously told Fox 61: ‘It was definitely violent which we’ve seen across the state over the last two years.
‘The violence in terms of the homicides have increased so that is a thing that is consistent in this case. We have seen children under six. That’s been a trend as well.’