Watch CBS News

Bronx Mother Convicted Of Drowning Her 2 Children In Bathtub

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New York City teacher whose lawyer said that postpartum depression caused her to poison and drown her two young children has been found guilty.

Lisette Bamenga, 32, was convicted of two counts of manslaughter Friday after a three-week non-jury trial, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said.

She drowned 4-month-old Violet Noel and 4-year-old Trevor Noel in the bathtub after putting windshield wiper fluid in their grape juice in July 2012. She then turned on the apartment's stove gas.

Rescuers responding to a gas leak report found Bamenga with her wrists slit and the children lying motionless in the kitchen.

Law enforcers said Bamenga acted in a jealous rage after learning that her boyfriend, a former NYPD officer, had fathered a child with another woman.

"The killing of these young children is a horrendous tragedy, and their mother has been held accountable for her actions," Clark said in a statement.

Bamenga faces five to 25 years in prison on each count when she is sentenced on April 25.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.