Esther Callejas: Arizona mom shot her two kids as 'she wanted them to go to heaven'
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: A mother of 2 kids shot both of them, one fatally, after which she tried to execute a failed attempt at killing herself. Esther Callejas fired multiple rounds from her gun at her children and her two-year-old daughter died on the spot. Cops said Callejas told her kids she wanted them to go to heaven before starting the rampage.
In the past, we have reported incidents involving killer parents. In August this year, the gutwrenching news of Matthew Coleman stabbing his two kids to death and then claiming he believed they had "serpent DNA" shook America. Coleman believed his kids would grow up to be "monsters" and stabbed his son 12 times and his 1-year-old daughter 17 times. In July this year, Las Vegas mom Jovan Trevino killed her 1 and 4-year-old daughter and son by drowning them. In September, Michigan dad Derek Thebo killed his 3-year-old son and then himself amid a bitter divorce battle.
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Esther Callejas tried killing herself with anti-depressants
According to Phoenix Police Sgt Ann Justus during a news briefing related to the shooting, cops were called to Callejas's house near 8th Street and Broadway Road at 11:45 am on September 27. "This is the worst type of call we can go on as officers. It affects each and every one of our officers," Justus said. After arriving at the scene, cops found both the kids with gunshot wounds. "Our officers immediately began life-saving efforts, including CPR," Justus said. The siblings were then transported to the hospital in critical condition where the girl, identified as Esperanza Isidro, was declared dead. Her brother continues to remain in critical condition.
Phoenix Police official released a statement on September 28 where they announced that Esther Callejas had been booked into jail. "During the course of this investigation officers learned that Esther called her husband and another family member to tell them that she just killed their children. Her husband and the other family member immediately called police who responded to the residence and located the two children with gunshot wounds. During an interview with police the following day, she admitted to shooting both of her children because she wanted them to go to heaven. She told detectives she planned on killing herself after, but she was unable to reload the gun," the statement read.
Callejas tried to kill herself after shooting her kids with the gun she had purchased years ago without anyone knowing. A few days before the shooting, she loaded her .38 gun and hid it in the dresser drawer of her kids' room. She was in the bedroom on September 27 with the gun and she accidentally shot herself in the hand. She then shot at her son who came running after hearing the gun. Callejas then shot her daughter. With all her bullets spent, Callejas tried to kill herself with her prescribed depression medicines. When the plan failed, she called her husband and told him what she had done.
"Esther did not call 911 even though her six-year-old was still alive and crying," read a portion of the court documents. The cops had visited their house for a welfare check two weeks before the shooting. Her husband had voiced concerns that he was worried about the well-being of his family. Callejas and the kids were not home at the time of this visit and she told the cops everything was fine over the phone. Her bond is set for $2 million.