A second child has died after police in central Florida said a mother stabbed her two children and seriously injured her baby.
Palm Bay police said 33-year-old Jessica McCarty called 911 Friday night claiming she killed her three children. When police arrived, they found her in the front yard carrying a knife. After several unsuccessful attempts to get her to drop the knife, authorities said they shot her with several bean bag rounds and then took her into custody.
Inside the home, police found the three unresponsive children and transported them to the hospital.
Seven-year-old Laci McCarty and 6-year-old Philip McCarty were later pronounced dead. Christopher Swist, who is six-months-old, is in critical condition at an Orlando hospital.
Police said Swist's father also called 911 and said he was McCarty's boyfriend. He took the baby outside and administered CPR.
"We are still trying to verify the sequence of events, how and why they occurred," said Lieutenant Mario Augello. "This is still a very active criminal investigation and our priority as always is making sure we have the right answers so there can be justice in the deaths and injuries of these innocent children."
Police Chief Mark Renkens said police had prior interactions with McCarty but did not elaborate.
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Neighbors said the family moved to the quiet neighborhood about six months ago.
According to records and a representative with the State Attorney's Office, McCarty pleaded guilty after she was arrested for stealing four prescription pads and passing prescriptions for controlled substances while working as a certified nursing assistant in 2013.
Florida Today reports she was sentenced to two years of community control and drug court, but failed a drug test almost immediately and was sent to the county jail for a week.
The newspaper reported she was sentenced to six months in county jail after failing another drug test.
McCarty has been charged with murder. It's unclear if McCarty had been assigned an attorney. Authorities said Saturday they were still in the process of transporting her to the Brevard County Detention Center where she will be held without bond. She has a hearing Sunday morning.
