Newburgh suicide mother's family speaks about Hudson River tragedy

(CBS/WCBS) NEW YORK - Relatives of Lashandra Armstrong, the woman who police say killed herself and three of her children by driving into the Hudson River Tuesday night, are now speaking out about the tragedy.

Pictures: Mom drives into river, kills 3 kids, 1 escapes

"I'm still hurting. I will be forever hurting for the rest of my life," Armstrong's mother, Datrice, told CBS station WCBS.

Police said Armstrong put her four children into the family minivan Tuesday night and intentionally drove it into the Hudson River. She drowned along with her daughter and two sons - her eldest son 10-year-old Lashaun managed to escape.

"I can't hear nothing no more from them. I can't see them no more. I can't hold them no more. I can't do none of that," said Datrice to the station.

Newburgh police announced Wednesday that the apparent murder-suicide took place after Armstrong was distraught over rumors her boyfriend had been cheating on her. Thursday morning, her sister said she had been acting strange and paranoid over the past few weeks, reports the station.

"She was talking to me about how she felt someone was watching her, she felt like there was pages of her diary missing the lights in her house were flickering on and off," sister Darice Armstrong said to the station.

Wednesday night, family and friends lit candles and laid stuffed animals at the scene, the station reports.

"Question is we'll never know or understand why, but all I'm just saying is just, pray with us while we go through this difficult time," Datrice told the station.

Complete coverage of the Newburgh murder-suicide on Crimesider