Mom facing neglect charges after children found dead

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - An Indianapolis mother is facing two charges of neglect after police found two children dead inside her southwest side apartment.

---

New Developments: Mom tells police she locked kids in closet for hours

---

Police discovered the children, a 5-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy, at Manchester Village Apartments Sunday night. Police say three other children inside the apartment, aged one, five and seven, appeared to be malnourished. They were taken to Riley Children's Hospital where they were treated and released to the custody of Child Protective Services.

All five children lived in the apartment in the 4600 Block of Londonderry Ct. with their mother, Edyan Farah, 28. Farah and two of the childrens' uncles were taken into police custody at the scene. IMPD charged Farah with neglect of a dependant resulting in death late Monday morning.

All are of Somalian descent.

Outside the Manchester Village Apartments Monday morning, there were more painful questions.

"They were babies...and I don't understand it," said next door neighbor Dina Thomas, wiping away tears.

"It was just overwhelming," agreed neighbor Nicole Felt. "When I found out it was kid, I was sick. I was physically sick."

Fire crews found the bodies after neighbors called 911 to report an argument that had broken out in the apartment complex's parking lot. IMPD's homicide unit then moved in to investigate Sunday night, but continued Monday to call the case only a "death investigation."

Police say there was no visible evidence of trauma showing how the children died. An autopsy Monday did not confirm a cause of death, and a Coroner's office spokesperson said it would likely be several weeks before toxicology tests could shed more light on the matter.

That had relatives of the children who drove in from Chicago Monday on edge.

"We didn't sleep last night just thinking what happened here," said Hussein Adam, a cousin of the children's father. "This is disaster. We don't know what can be said. Still, we don't have details what happened and how the children are dead."

Adam and other family members said the children's father had flown back to his home country of Somalia "one or two months ago."

"Everything was good. It was a good family. He works, and she stays at home. I don't know what happened," Adam said.

"He in Africa now, but he's coming back. He's in the air now," said Monhammad Aden, another cousin.

24 Hour News 8 also spoke with neighbors questioned by police, who say there were signs of trouble with the children.

"In the past, we've seen them lock [the children] out on the patio," said Thomas. "And, they all looked too skinny. The other week, my mother came over so we could do some shopping on a girls' day out. And, one of the little girls--I don't know how old she was--grabbed my mom's hand as she was walking out to the car and said--I'll go anywhere with you. My mom said--no sweetie--you have to go back home to your mom."

Asked if she thought the child was trying to leave her home, Thomas said "yes, that's how we took it."

"We never seen them bring in food. And they've got 5 kids. I've got one kid, and he'll eat you out of house and home," Thomas continued. "I wish I would've done more to try to prevent whatever happened," she said. "If I could go back, I would have fed them. Or, I would've done something to get them help."

Farah is being held in the Marion County Jail on a $200,000 surety bond. No court date has been set yet. Police say additional charges could be filed, but all other relatives taken in for questioning Sunday night have been released.