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The Danbury Police Department provided tragic new details about the death of a mother and her three children. Officers responded to the home for a welfare check on Wednesday (July 27) night after receiving a 911 call from an individual who was "distraught and crying."
Detective Captain Mark Williams revealed that Sonia Loja, 36, is believed to have strangled her three children to death before hanging herself in a shed.
The three children were identified as five-year-old Jonael Panjon, 10-year-old Joselyn Panjon, and 12-year-old Junior Panjon.
A motive for the killings has not been determined.
Loja reportedly lived in the home with two other adults. However, they were not home at the time, and officials did not provide their identity or their relation to Loja.
"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," Mayor Dean Esposito said in a statement.
The murder-suicide left the usually quiet neighborhood shocked.
"This is a very quiet neighborhood, if something happens, everybody on the block is bound to know," neighbor Atkin Guishard told The Middletown Press. "But that is a tragedy I can't even fathom."
"It's shocking. I can't believe it. I'm still shaking," he added. "I can't believe something like this happened on this street. It's a very quiet street. You don't hear of things like that happening here."