Sun-Times Media Wire
Chicago - Regina M. Lofton has been charged with endangerment after her twin 1-year-old girls were found dead in their Far South Side home Wednesday evening.
Lofton, 21, was charged Friday afternoon with two counts of endangering the life of a child, a Class 3 felony, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.
Lofton faces up to 12 years in prison if coinvicted and will appear in bond court Saturday, Simonton said.
Officers responded at 7:06 p.m. Wednesday to the home in the 10600 block of South Wentworth Avenue and found the twins unresponsive, News Affairs Officer Darryl Baety said.
Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said the infants -- identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office as Kimari and Kamora Roberson -- were dead in a bedroom when paramedics responded. Police requested they be taken to Roseland Community Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Friday autopsies revealed both girls died of hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), environmental exposure and failure to thrive due to maternal neglect, according to the medical examiner’s office. Failure to thrive is a condition characterized by low body weight and small size, often caused by malnutrition.
Both deaths were ruled homicides.
The Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services is investigating allegations of neglect in the case, agency spokesman Jimmie Whitelow said. The agency has had no prior contact with the family.
Whitelow could not comment on whether there were other children in the home or whether the allegation of neglect was against the mother or someone else.
Sources said the babies had been dead for several hours when emergency personnel arrived.
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