Medical Examiner Confirms Causes Of Death For Danbury Mom & 3 Children

DANBURY, CT — State officials have confirmed the causes of death for a mother and three children found dead in a Danbury residence Wednesday.

Sonia Loja, 36, died from asphyxiation from suicide by hanging, according to the Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner's Office. The deaths of her three children, Junior Panjon, 12, Joselyn Panjon, 10, and Jonael Panjon, 5, were homicides: strangulation with some form of cord such as rope, wire, chain, or shoelaces.

Danbury police officers were first called to the home at 10 Whaley Street around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for a well-being check by a male caller who was "distraught and crying," according to police. Investigators discovered the Panjon children dead inside, and the body of their mother in the home's outside shed.

Two of the three children killed were students in the Danbury Public Schools, according to Superintendent Kevin Walston.

"Losing children to violence is becoming far too common in our nation and events such as these shine a light on the challenges communities face, specifically around mental health, that leave so many people vulnerable," Walston said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.

The public schools have assembled a pupil services team that will be available at Morris Street School and Westside Middle School on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Mayor’s Office and the City’s Police, Fire, Health, Education, Emergency Management, and Health Departments, along with Nuvance Health are coordinating efforts to provide services to the family and friends of the deceased.

In a statement released Thursday, Mayor Dean Esposito pledged that, "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."

If you suspect a loved one is struggling, please call or text 988 to access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The support line is available 24/7 to provide people with the help and resources they need during a mental health crisis.