An Oregon woman is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say she tried to kill her three children with carbon monoxide poisoning over the weekend.
Chardonnay Benavidez, 32, of Keizer, has been charged with three counts of first-degree attempted murder and three counts of first-degree attempted assault in connection with the June 6 incident, online court records viewed by NTD show.
Officers responded to Benavidez's residence on the 4000 block of Holly Court, where they found her in the living room with her three sons, including a 4-year-old and twin 2-year-olds, the Keizer Police Department told Fox 12. Officials said they also found a vehicle in the home's attached garage with a makeshift device connected to the exhaust pipe.
Benavidez and her children were subsequently transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment related to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Local authorities told Fox 12 that Benavidez's three children were released from the hospital to their father on Sunday. NTD reached out to the Keizer Police Department for additional information, but a response was not received by publication time.
Prosecutors said Monday that Benavidez told local authorities that she had been planning and researching the incident for about a week.
"There were multiple options she was considering and she landed on this option as one that they would all just fall asleep together," Marion County officials said.
According to online court records viewed by NTD, Benavidez divorced her husband in April 2024 and was granted sole custody of the children.
Authorities have not released a possible motive or any additional details about what led up to the incident. Benavidez's public defender, Gabriela Perez-Mendoza, and the Marion County District Attorney's Office could not immediately be reached for comment.
Benavidez was ordered held without bail at Monday's arraignment. Her next court date is scheduled for June 17.