Authorities say the boys’ father called 911 after returning home from work in Hillsborough on Jan. 13.
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A New Jersey mother has been charged with killing her two sons, ages five and seven, after the boys were found unresponsive inside a Hillsborough home Tuesday evening, officials said. The children’s father called 911 around 6:45 p.m. and told a dispatcher his wife had done something to them, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors identified the suspect as 35-year-old Priyatharsini Natarajan of Hillsborough. She faces two counts of first-degree murder and a third-degree weapons charge. Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and Hillsborough Township Police are leading the investigation. Officials say life-saving efforts were attempted but both boys were pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death. The case has drawn swift attention in Somerset County, where school officials confirmed the children attended Sunnymead Elementary School and announced counseling support for classmates and staff.
Police were dispatched to the single-family residence on Shell Court after the father reported arriving home from work to find his sons unconscious, authorities said. Responding officers encountered Natarajan and the father inside the house. The boys were located in a bedroom, and emergency crews attempted resuscitation before pronouncing them dead. “There are no words to adequately capture the weight of this tragedy,” Hillsborough Superintendent Mike Volpe said, noting district crisis teams were activated Wednesday morning. County officials said investigators worked overnight processing the scene and interviewing witnesses.
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald announced the charges Wednesday and said additional details would come after autopsies are completed. Hillsborough Township Police Chief Michael McMahon said detectives with the Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit are assisting, along with the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. Prosecutors said preliminary findings indicate Natarajan caused the deaths of her sons; however, they did not release information about injuries or any suspected motive. Authorities also withheld the children’s names pending additional notifications to relatives. Natarajan is being held at the Somerset County Jail while the investigation continues.
Hillsborough is a central New Jersey township in Somerset County, about 45 miles southwest of New York City. Records show the subdivision where police responded is a quiet residential area near municipal parks and schools. The Sunnymead Elementary community began offering counseling and additional staff support after students and teachers learned of the deaths. Parents gathered outside the school Wednesday, many in tears, as staff escorted children to counseling rooms. Volpe said he spent the morning at Sunnymead and praised teachers who “focused entirely on the well-being of our children” while routines continued under the district’s crisis plan.
Investigators have not announced a possible motive. Prosecutors did not say whether any previous calls for service had been made to the address, and public records about prior incidents were not immediately available. Authorities also did not describe the weapon referenced in the charging documents. Officials said detectives are reviewing the family’s recent activity, interviewing neighbors and relatives, and collecting electronic records as part of standard homicide procedures. The medical examiner’s findings will guide additional charges, if any, and help establish a fuller timeline of what occurred inside the home before the father’s 911 call.
Prosecutors said Natarajan was detained at the scene and later charged with two counts of murder and one count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. A first court appearance is expected in Somerset County Superior Court, where a judge will consider pretrial detention. No hearing date was immediately released Wednesday night. Under New Jersey law, first-degree murder carries a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison if convicted. The Prosecutor’s Office said formal autopsy results will be released when available and asked anyone with information to contact detectives as they continue to build the case.
Neighbors described a typically quiet block on Shell Court. Several residents said police and emergency vehicles lined the street Tuesday night as detectives worked into the early morning hours. One neighbor, who declined to give her full name, said officers asked residents whether home security cameras captured movement on the street during the day. At Sunnymead Elementary, a teacher said staff created small-group spaces where classmates could talk privately with counselors. “We’re doing everything we can to keep routines steady for the kids,” the teacher said.
As of late Wednesday, Natarajan remained in county custody and the boys’ autopsies were pending. Officials said they will release the causes of death after examinations are complete. Prosecutors are expected to announce the date of Natarajan’s detention hearing and any additional findings in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated January 15, 2026.