Wilmington – Police have arrested and charged, Kula Pelima, 30, of Wilmington, with two counts of first-degree murder after two children were found drowned in the bathtub, at her home yesterday, according to Police Chief Robert Tracy.
Tracy said Pelima, who is being held on $2 million cash bail, called 911 Monday telling the call taker that she had drowned the children.
As the call came in at around 8:30 am yesterday, Wilmington Police were dispatched to 826 W. Ninth Street to conduct a welfare check of the two young children, according to Tracy.
Arriving officers were able to determined that the children were deceased but were forced out of the home by a strong odor of gas. Due to safety concerns, officers evacuated the home until it could be made safe by the fire department. Firefighters, along with Delmarva crews, worked quickly to get the gas turned off. Once the gas was shut off crews opened all of the windows to allow the gas to dissipate.
Once firefighters determined that it was safe to enter the building, police officers reentered to investigate the scene. Police took Pelima in for questioning before charging her and to transporting her to Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution .
Pelima was the biological mother of the 3 month old but not the 5-year-old boy, said Tracy.
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