Deaths Of 5-Year-Old Bronx Twins Ruled Homicides: Reports

BRONX, NY — The deaths of 5-year-old twins in the Bronx in December have been ruled homicides by smothering, according to multiple reports that cite the medical examiner.

The pair, a boy and a girl, were found unresponsive inside an apartment in the 200 block of East 175th Street in the Mount Hope area of the Bronx on Dec. 18, New York City Police Department officials said at the time. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

There were no obvious signs of trauma, police said, according to FOX5 New York. No arrests have been made in the children's deaths as of Thursday.

NYPD officers previously said that the twins' mother had been with them at the time of their deaths, adding that they had been sick for several days and were sent home from school. The father was not home at the time of the children's deaths, according to police.

Authorities added that the time that there had been no previous reports of violence or Administration for Children's Services at the home and that the mother was "emotionally distraught" over the children's deaths.

The apartment was declared a crime scene while officials worked to determine whether foul play was involved or whether it was an "unfortunate tragedy," police said.

No additional information was immediately available.