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The apparent triple murder-suicide happened on Wednesday, July 27 in Danbury, on Whaley Street.
The children, Junior Panjon, age 12, Joselyn Panjon, age 10, and Jonael Panjon, age 5, were found by police after the department received a request for a welfare check from a distraught and crying person, said Det. Capt. Mark Williams, of the Danbury Police.
That person turned out to be Pedro Panjon, the devasted husband of Sonia Loja, age 36, of Danbury, who fainted after finding his three children dead inside the home.
Loja had battled depression for years and had been crying for days after her at-home day care business had been shut down by the state, said a relative of the family, Digna Naulaguari, age 47, also of Danbury, according to the New York Post,
Panjon told the Post he saw no signs of the coming homicides/suicide and became extra concerned when none of his children ran out to meet him when he arrived home, as usual.
When he walked into the home, he found the two-page suicide note, but reportedly only read the first line before finding his children, the Post reported.
“The letter said, ‘Sorry Pedro, I take my kids with me,’ ” Naulaguari, a cousin, told the New York Post.
In June, Loja had been ordered by the state to close her at-home daycare which was not licensed.
Loja had recently been cited twice by the state Office of Early Childhood, according to Maggie Adair, director of government and community relations.
According to Adair, on Wednesday, May 31, the office received an anonymous complaint that child care was being provided at 10 Whaley St., Danbury.
Then, on Friday, June 2, "OEC staff visited the home and substantiated that illegal care was being provided by Ms. Loja," she said.
Loja was issued a Notice of Illegal Child Care Operation, Adair said.
On Tuesday, June 6, another visit was conducted to verify illegal care had ceased. She added that the provider claimed the children in care on that day were relatives.
"Additional investigation steps followed in an effort to verify whether the children were relatives."
On Thursday, June 29 "another visit to the home was conducted, and Ms. Loja was found to be providing illegal care once again and the attached Demand to Cease was issued," she said.
When police arrived at the home, they found the children inside the home, all had been suffocated. Loja was found by officers hanging in the backyard shed located near a swing set and toys.
According to Naulaguari, Loja suffered from depression, which had gone untreated because she had no health insurance and could not afford to go to the doctor, especially because she was not working.
On Monday, July 25, Naulaguari told the Post, Loja called her sister in Westchester County to tell her she hadn’t slept in days.
“Two days later, and she was no more,” Naulaguari said to the Post.
To read the entire New York Post story, click here.
If you are suffering from suicidal thoughts, call the national suicide hotline at 988.
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