A quiet New Jersey community has been left reeling after a mother was charged in the deaths of her two young children.
Authorities announced Wednesday, Jan. 14, that 35-year-old Priyatharsini Natarajan was arrested and charged with double homicide following the deaths of her two sons, ages 5 and 7, at the family’s home in Hillsborough Township.
According to a joint statement from local authorities and Michael McMahon, police were called to the residence around 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, after the children’s father returned home from work and found both boys unconscious. During the 9-1-1 call, the father reportedly told dispatchers that his wife had done something to the children, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said.
Officers responded to the family’s home in the Brookhaven Lofts community in Hillsborough Township, where they found the two boys in a bedroom. Despite emergency crews attempting life-saving measures, both children were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not yet been released, pending formal identification by the medical examiner.
Natarajan was taken into custody at the home and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, along with one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. She was transported to the Somerset County Jail, where she remains held pending a detention hearing. Authorities have not said whether she has retained an attorney.
Investigators have not released a possible motive, and officials said no additional details will be shared while the investigation remains active.
The tragedy has deeply shaken the local school community. The two boys were students at Sunnymead Elementary School, according to reports. Hillsborough Public Schools Superintendent Mike Volpe called the situation “unfathomable,” emphasizing that student and staff well-being is the district’s top priority.
Crisis response teams and additional counseling services have been made available on campus, and families were encouraged to speak honestly with children while limiting exposure to social media to prevent the spread of rumors.
Law enforcement officials are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office or the Hillsborough Township Police Department. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the county’s tip line or the STOPit app.
As the investigation continues, the Hillsborough community is grappling with an unimaginable loss — and searching for answers in a case that has left many stunned and heartbroken.