Police found two-year-old Nathan wandering around helplessly with the bodies of mum Erika Tomassian and baby Michael nearby
A toddler was left
alone for days inside an apartment after his mum died suddenly while feeding
his baby brother, who also choked to death.
The two-year-old boy
was found wandering around helplessly and severely dehydrated by police
following reports from a neighbour about a crying child.
Erika Tomassian
His mother, named locally as Erika
Tomassian, was found dead in a seated position on the floor at the Hollywood
apartment, the Daily News reported.
The body of the youngster's
one-year-old brother was found strapped into a chair nearby, KTLA reported.
Police in Los Angeles did not
release any identities, but neighbours named the mother and said she had
recently adopted the boys, named as Nathan and younger brother Michael.
Authorities said she was raising the
boys alone.
Firefighters broke into the
apartment through a second floor window, where they found the tragic family
around 3pm on Monday.
LAPD spokeswoman Liliana Preciado
told the Daily News: "It's very sad. He [Nathan] was fending for himself,
opening drawers and trying to find food."
The cause of death for Ms Tomassian,
who is believed to have been around 45 years old, is as yet unclear.
Some media reported that she may
have been suffering from bronchitis while police said she had visited her
doctor just days ago, but the reason was not disclosed.
Baby Michael choked to death on
food, Preciado said. His death was ruled accidental, and there was no evidence
of foul play.
Nathan was taken to a nearby
hospital, where he is reportedly in a stable condition.
He is thought to have been alone
with the bodies of his mum and brother for two days.
