The bodies of boys, ages 3 and 5, were found in Naim Rasool Muhammad's car at East Ledbetter and Singing Hills Drive.
At 12:40 p.m., a 911 caller said her son had drowned her
grandchildren. The caller told the fire department she had the
children with her and was waiting for paramedics, according to
officials.
Paramedics arrived and transported the children to Children's
Medical Center in Dallas, where they were pronounced dead.
Deputy Chief Craig Miller said Monday afternoon that
investigators believe the children, 3-year-old Elijah Mohammed,
and 5-year-old Naim Mohammed, were drowned. The children were
found in the back of a silver station wagon.
Investigators are trying to determine where the children were
killed.
"We [were] hoping for them to start school today and be with the
rest of the kids and enjoy life, but someone ended their life
shortly," said Gabrielle Armstead, the children's aunt.
Naim Muhammad, 32, was detained in the 6500 block of Lazy River
Drive a few blocks from Singing Hills and Ledbetter after a foot
pursuit and struggle with police. He was arrested in a creek bed
near his home.
Muhammad has been charged with two counts of capital murder.
Police identified the children as Elijah and Naim Mohammed, but
the father's name is listed as Muhammad in court and jail
records.
He was booked into Dallas County Jail at 6:51 p.m. Miller said
Muhammad is cooperating with the investigation.
Police said Monday afternoon that Muhammad abducted the children
and their mother while she was walking them to school at about
7:15 a.m. The mother was able to escape, police said.
The mother told police he had made threats against her and their
children. She and Muhammad have three children, police said.
"I knew he was troubled, but I didn't expect him to hurt his own
kids," Armstead said.
The children's mother and Muhammad had recently separated. The
mother and the children were living with her parents in Southeast
Dallas.
Witnesses said Muhammad tried to break into their home later in
the morning. A shattered window could be seen at the house.
The couple's 1-year-old son was not home at the time.
The child is in the care of Child Protective Services. Relatives
said the children's mother feels as if she has lost all of her
children.
Police said they are working with Child Protective Services to
determine if there was any history of abuse.
"He did yell a lot and use the kids as a target, so he took the
thing that was closest to her, and that was her boys," Armstead
said.
Relatives said the family got together on Saturday for a cookout
to celebrate the children going to school. Muhammad and the
children's mother got into an argument, and he was asked to
leave, the family said.
On Monday morning, Muhammad was wanted by police on suspicion of
abducting two children while walking from their home on Terrell
Street in South Dallas to Frazier Elementary School a few blocks
away. The Dallas Independent School District confirms the
children were enrolled, but said they never made it to class
Monday.
On Monday morning, Muhammad was wanted by police on suspicion of
abducting two children while walking from their home on Terrell
Street in South Dallas to Frazier Elementary School a few blocks
away. The Dallas Independent School District confirms the
children were enrolled, but said they never made it to class
Monday.
Police said the woman and her children were not at a school when
they were taken.
The mother jumped out of the car in the 100 block of Camp Wisdom
Road an d flagged down a Dallas County constable, who called
Dallas police.
The constable did not chase Muhammad. She only served court
papers, did not have red lights or a siren and is trained not to
chase anyone.
Muhammad's photo, right, was taken in February of this year. He
has prior convictions for possession of marijuana, burglary of a
vehicle, theft by check and aggravated assault with a deadly
weapon.
Muhammad is being held in the Dallas County Jail on $2 million
bail.
Investigators said there was no legal reason the father could not
have his children and were working to confirm that he made
threats to the mother and the children before the children's
bodies were found.
Miller said Monday afternoon that officers knew they were looking
for the children's father. Officers were following every lead and
did not have enough information to justify an Amber Alert, police
said.
Dallas police said the children's bodies were found before they
could issue the Amber Alert they were planning on announcing at 1
p.m.
He was arrested in February on suspicion of punching the
children's mother. According to the police report, Muhammad
grabbed their then 4-year-old son and left with him.
