27-Year-Old Lakewood Woman Has Been Charged With 2 Counts Of Murder For Killing Her 2 Toddlers Yesterday

Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 7:15 A.M. ET. By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

LAKEWOOD, NJ.- An Ocean County residential neighborhood was struck by unspeakable violence, as friends, family, and neighbors are struggling to come to terms with the horrific murders of two toddlers at the hands of their mother late yesterday afternoon in Lakewood Township, New Jersey  

     According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, last night, Naomi Elkins, 27, of Lakewood, New Jersey was taken into custody and formally charged with two counts of first-degree Murder; third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose; and fourth-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, in connection with deaths of her two young children on Tuesday afternoon.

     On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at just around 4:50 p.m., members of the Lakewood Township Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call, reporting two children in cardiac arrest at a Shenandoah Drive home in the Township.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers found Hatzolah Medical Services attempting to render lifesaving aid to two young children, ages one and three years old. Despite the life-saving efforts, both children were tragically pronounced deceased inside the home. 

     An ensuing investigation by Detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, the Lakewood Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that both of the children were Elkins and that the one-year-old had been stabbed, and that both children had been drowned.

     The investigation remains active and ongoing as Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding what led Elkins to take her two toddlers’ lives.

     Following being processed on the charges, Elkins was transported to the Ocean County Jail pending future court proceedings in Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River, New Jersey.

“The rules of the court requires us to include a statement, that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”