A mother accused of killing her three young daughters was in the hospital under guard Wednesday after the gruesome discovery by deputies one night earlier. One of the woman’s neighbors spoke out about the shocking moment when the children’s father realized what happened to his family. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News at Noon Wednesday, May 21, 2014.
An investigation continued Wednesday after a mother's three young daughters were found dead at a Southern California home Tuesday night, officials said.
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The mother, identified as 30-year-old Carol Coronado (pictured below), was arrested and remained at a hospital Wednesday under watch by sheriff's deputies, detectives said.
The girls' maternal grandmother made an emergency phone call for help about 5:10 p.m., saying the mother had killed or was killing the girls at the home in the 1000 block of West 223rd Street in unincorporated Torrance (map), the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
When deputies arrived, they discovered the bodies of a 3-year-old girl, 2-year-old girl, and 2-month-old girl.
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Detectives did not release the cause of death or a possible motive. A witness told NBC4 the woman was naked, covered in blood and "zoned out."
Coronado's husband and the girls' grandmother were at the home at the time of the girls' deaths, detectives said.
"Deputies went in, they brought the husband out and he was screaming and crying, 'She killed my daughters,'" neighbor Ashley Madrid said through tears. "Then they brought her out naked and covered in blood."
Neighbors were in disbelief over the deaths of the three girls.
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"Keep them in prayer, so sad," Linda Herrera said. "I know I'm not going to sleep tonight. I have all my kids at home with me."
Coronado does not have other children, detectives said.
Hetty Chang contributed to this report.
