Prosecutors: Murders of Kenosha siblings spawned by parent's relationship issues

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - Police say the Kenosha mother accused of killing her two children has confessed to doing so.

And now, we know more about why.

Lucia Hernandez-Alvarez made her first court appearance Monday after the father found her and the bodies of their two children in their Kenosha apartment over the weekend.

A warning: some of the details of this case are extremely disturbing.

What is clear from prosecutors is that this was not some spur of the moment decision, and that there is evidence it was premeditated.

Investigators say late Friday night that Hernandez-Alvarez murdered 3-year-old Alicia Hernandez and 1- year-old Javier Hernandez in their Kenosha home. Prosecutors detailed the gruesome crime from Hernandez-Alvarez's alleged statement to police.

“The, quote, best decision, unquote was to make the children fall asleep with medication, like Tylenol, and Motrin, before she killed them,” said Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Jason Zapf.

There were gasps, moans and tears in court as the prosecutor described how Hernandez-Alvarez suffocated her children. He said she gave her son liquid Tylenol and teething pain tablets and then held a bag and pillow over his face.

Police say the woman forced her daughter to drink an entire bottle of liquid Motrin and Tylenol and then suffocated the little girl while holding her on a couch.

“The defendant, while holding her daughter, then made the sign of the cross over her. Her daughter, then, looked up and said, `Goodnight, and ‘I love you, Mommy,’ before falling asleep,” Zapf added.

Prosecutors say the murders were spawned by what Hernandez-Alvarez told police were relationship issues with her husband.

She tried to take her own life with pills and alcohol, but when that didn't work, she stabbed herself eight times, but was still unsuccessful.

The children's father came home from work and found his children dead.

Police said that the day before the murders, Hernandez-Alvarez mailed a packet to her sister with a note detailing what she planned to do, including how and when.

Hernandez-Alvarez is being held on $5 million bond and will be back in court Thursday.