A 36-year-old Connecticut mom took her own life after strangling her three children to death in a horrifying murder-suicide that shocked the friendly neighborhood in Danbury.
Sonia Loja and her three kids, 12-year-old Junior Panjon, 10-year-old Joselyn Panjon, and 5-year-old Jonael Panjon were found dead in the family’s Whaley Street home last Wednesday, July 27.
The shocking discovery was made by the husband and father, Pedro Panjon when he returned home from work that evening.
Pedro realized something was off as soon as he arrived at the front door, his cousin Digna Naulaguari, told the New York Post.
“When Pedro came home from work, the kids would always rush out to his car and yell, ‘Daddy! Yay! My daddy came back!,’ especially the girl, Joselyn,” Naulaguari said.
“They would help him bring his things in, like his lunchbox and everything. On Wednesday, he came home, and the door was locked, but the door was never locked. When the kids didn’t come out … that’s when his heart broke,” the relative said.
Pedro rushed inside to the kitchen and spotted the two-page suicide note that Loja had left for him, his cousin explained.
“The letter said, ‘Sorry Pedro, I take my kids with me,’ ” Naulaguari said.
“He didn’t read nothing more, he pushed the letter away. He still hasn’t read it.”
Pedro then ran to a bedroom, where he found his son, Junior Panjon, on the floor and daughter, Joselyn on the bed — both with electrical cords around their necks, the cousin explained.
“He took the cables off, hoping he’d hear life, but it was too late,” she said.
The youngest boy, Jonael was found in another room, also with a cord wrapped around his neck, the cousin said.
Pedro couldn’t find his wife, so he called the police before going out to the yard and collapsing to the ground.
Loja was found hanging in the backyard shed — turned day-care which was under the authorities' radar and forced to shut down after being deemed illegal.
“The children all appear to have died by strangulation, and the mother’s suspected cause of death is asphyxia by hanging,” Detective Captain Mark Williams said in a statement.
It was later reported that Loja had long battled depression and had been crying for days before deciding to take the extreme step on Wednesday.
“Her job was baby-sitting, but the city closed her business down, they said it was illegal. She was not working,” Naulaguari said. “Then she was crying, she was so sad. She would say, ‘I need to work,’ but she had three kids, so she wanted to work from home. She wanted to stay and take care of her kids and the other kids.”
Neighbors and people from the community created a makeshift memorial and have been dropping off balloons, stuffed animals, and candles to honor the children killed.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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