KATY, Texas – A mother has been charged in connection to the death of her two daughters following an incident back in February.
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Mother charged in connection to the death of her 2 daughters in Katy
What we know:
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Laura Nicholson, 23, was charged with two counts of injury to a child.
Gonzalez said an investigation determined that both children had cocaine in their systems at the time of their passing.
Authorities said last Friday they charged Nicholson.
Nicholson was later arrested in Florida and booked into the Lee County Jail.
Laura Nicholson
The backstory:
Officials said the two girls drowned at a home on Creek Edge Court, near Morton and Mason Roads, close to the Grant Parkway.
Authorities at the scene said calls started coming in at about 11:30 a.m. Deputies came to the home and found paramedics performing life-saving measures on the girls.
Both were taken to a hospital via helicopter where they were pronounced dead, authorities said.
The two and three-year-old girls reportedly live at the home with their mother and grandparents. Their grandmother had just come home from running errands and found the girls in the pool.
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Court documents stated further questioning of the grandmother stated that when she arrived home she saw the back door was partially open. The grandmother then stated she saw both children in the pool.
According to court documents, Nicholson stated she had fallen asleep on the couch and was awakened by her mother screaming and hollering.
Laura Nicholson also stated that the door latch had been broken for two days and would not lock. She stated during questioning that her children are always getting out and running to the pool. Laura also stated to authorities that CPS questioned her last year about drug allegations.
Court records stated that the autopsies on both children had cocaine in their blood. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science Pathologists determined that the children might have drowned in the pool. However, it was determined that drowning is difficult to see in an autopsy and is usually determined by the facts and circumstances of the death. Officials said the autopsies could not rule out or confirm death from drowning.
Upon further questioning following the incident, the grandmother accused Laura Nicholson of using cocaine. It was also determined that the latch on the backdoor out to the pool area was not working properly.
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What’s next:
Bond for Laura Nicholson has not been set yet.