Colorado mum stabs own children to death a day before New Year's Eve

Claudia Camacho Duenas is facing murder charges after she allegedly stabbed and killed her two children last year on Dec. 30 at their apartment complex in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

The Glenwood Springs Police Department (GSPD) responded to a call about an "in progress" event occurring within a multi-unit apartment complex" around 2:34 p.m. Police officers arrived at the scene to see the victims, the accused's 11-year-old daughter, and 18-year-old son, with serious injuries. They immediately provided life-saving measures before they transported the two to the hospital.

Chief Joseph H. Deras said in a press release shared on GSPD's Facebook page that the officers also saw an uninvolved civilian restraining the mother. The said individual informed the police that she was responsible for the attack.

Initial investigations revealed that the alleged stabbing first happened at the family's apartment unit and continued into the parking lot area. Officers were also immediately able to quickly determine that "there were no outstanding suspects nor was there any continuing threat to the public's safety." Sadly, the two victims succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. As for the biological mother, Ms. Duenas has been arrested and booked at the Garfield County Jail.

"Upon completion, the investigation will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for review for appropriate disposition. At this point, we have provided probable cause statements to detail the circumstances for the arrest of Ms. Duenas. This type of violence is uncharacteristic for our community and our first responders (Police/Fire) are personally affected by this event. We recognize this affects everyone in our community and we mourn this inexplicable loss of life of these two very young people," Chief Deras said.

He added, "We will not offer any further information with respect to any evidence or the criminal justice process moving forward. We would ask that any inquiries in this area are directed to the District Attorney's Office. It is critical to respect that although Ms. Duenas has been arrested, she is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."

It is unclear if Ms. Duenas has an attorney. A motive for the alleged stabbing of her two children has yet to be determined. The police are urging anyone with additional information or questions to reach out to the GSPD at (970) 384-6500.