Indian-origin woman arrested in New Jersey for alleged murder of her two young children

An Indian-origin woman has been arrested in connection with the deaths of her two minor sons in New Jersey, in the United States, authorities said.

Somerset County Prosecutor John P McDonald announced that Priyatharsini Natarajan (35), a resident of Hillsborough Township, was taken into custody following a 9-1-1 call on the evening of January 13. The call was made by an adult male family member who reported finding the children unconscious after returning home from work.

Officers from the Hillsborough Township Police Department responded to the residence on Shell Court, where they discovered two boys, aged five and seven, unresponsive inside a bedroom. Despite attempts by police and medical personnel to revive them, both children were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not been released pending confirmation by the medical examiner.

Natarajan was detained at the location and later transported to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being investigated by county and township detectives along with the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. A post-mortem examination has been scheduled to determine the cause and manner of death.

Prosecutors said the investigation indicates that Natarajan caused the deaths of the two children. She has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and is being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Authorities have appealed to the public for information related to the case and reiterated that the charges are allegations, with the accused presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.