Police: Sonia Loja strangled her 3 children in their Danbury home before her own death by suicide
DANBURY, Conn. -- Police say a Danbury mother strangled her three children before taking her own life.
CBS2's Natalie Duddridge spoke to devastated neighbors who say there was no sign of any trouble.
"Our heart, our soul goes out to the kids, the family. Innocent, innocent. Why? Children," one person said.
A peaceful block has been shattered. Crime scene tape now surrounds what neighbors thought was a happy home on Whaley Street.
"Every day those kids were outside, but she was always with them. It's unbelievable. They were happy, those kids. If anybody was walking by, they would say hi," said Erna Grenier, a neighbor.
On Wednesday night around 6:15 p.m. police say they received a call from someone who sounded upset and asked officers to do a wellness check on the residents inside.
"When officers arrived, they found three deceased juveniles inside the home and they found a deceased female in the backyard at the residence," said Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour. "The person who called was a male who sounded distraught and was crying."
Investigators confirmed the identities of the children as 5-year-old Jonael Panjon, 10-year-old Joselyn Panjon and 12-year-old Junior Panjon. Police say it appears their mother, 36-year-old Sonia Loja, strangled her three children before hanging herself.
"Just to hear stories like this... it's truly tragic," one neighbor said.
Police say two other adults lived at the house but were not home when officers arrived. People who knew the family told Duddridge the children's father and uncle also lived there.
According to neighbors, the house was well-kept and there were no signs of anything suspicious.
"Didn't hear anything, no yelling. Never heard yelling or anything over there," Grenier said. "It's sad. Why do people have to involve kids?"
"I am sorry to hear about this and I pray for the rest of the family," said Atkin Guishard, another neighbor.
"Just devastated to hear. So many pressures, with COVID and everything else going on. Parents are under a lot of pressure. I was just totally devastated," one person said.
Teachers with the nearby Danbury public schools say the district and city are offering counseling to the community.
Police said they were not looking for suspects and there was no danger to the community.
