A neighbor has been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of three young girls under the age of 10 who were found dead inside a Maryland home.
Antonio Williams, 24, was taken into custody by local police late on Friday night.
Williams lives on Brooke Jane Drive, which is the same street as the home the three little girls were found dead in that morning in Clinton, Maryland.
The bodies were found by an adult family member who then called the police.
Exactly how the young girls, who were between the ages of nine and five, died is not clear, but police said they had experienced ‘trauma to the body’.
Prince George’s County police are investigating the deaths of three juveniles, aged nine to five, who were found dead in a house by a relative early on Friday morning
Antonio Williams, 24, was arrested in connection with the murder of the three girls. He lives on the same street that the bodies were found
Two of the victims were from Newark and were on vacation in Maryland, according to sources speaking to RLS Metro Breaking News.
‘We are now in the midst of a major investigation into what happened to these children and who killed them,’ police department spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan said. ‘We have not determined who the person responsible is yet,’ she said.
Firefighters arrived and pronounced the children dead. They were found to have suffered from ‘trauma to the body,’ Donelan said.
In a news conference with reporters police described that the scene inside the home as ‘gruesome’.
‘This is one of the the most difficult scenes that our officers arrived on,’ Donelan said, adding that the neighborhood where the children were found was quiet.
State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, said: ‘We are absolutely heartbroken and we are so absolutely devastated.’
The relative discovered all three with ‘trauma to the body’ at the home in a quiet residential neighborhood of single family homes
Police did not release the children’s ages or their relationships. It is reported two of the girls were visiting from Newark
The children’s names, ages and relation to one another has not yet been explained.
Relatives of the victims are being contacted and counseling has even been offered to officers who responded and found the bodies.
An extensive investigation is underway. The police department tweeted that it is committed to ‘make an arrest & determine a motive’ for the murders.
Another press conference is expected at 11am on Saturday.
Relatives of the victims are being contacted and counseling has even been offered to officers who responded and found the bodies