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A mother has been arrested in Florida, three months after her two young daughters allegedly drowned in Texas with cocaine in their systems, according to authorities.
The case dates back to Feb. 11, when deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Katy, Texas, for reports of two children drowning. The victims, ages 2 and 3, were later found to have cocaine in their systems.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths have raised questions about how the children were exposed to the drug and what alleged role their mother, Laura Nicholson, 23, may have played, according to authorities.
Before being arrested Monday in Fort Myers, Florida, Nicholson was charged May 8 with two counts of injury to a child in connection with the deaths.
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Laura Nicholson was arrested in Florida and charged with two counts of injury to a child in connection with the deaths of her two daughters, according to authorities. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Under Texas law, injury to a child can include acts or omissions that cause serious bodily harm or place a child in imminent danger, though officials have not publicly detailed the specific actions that led to the charges in this case.
Authorities have not said when toxicology results confirmed the presence of cocaine or what specific evidence led to charges being filed nearly three months after the incident.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said its Violent Criminals Apprehension Team coordinated with the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate Nicholson in Florida.
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Nicholson was taken into custody Monday afternoon in Fort Myers, Fla., according to authorities. (Getty Images)
Nicholson was taken into custody Monday afternoon in Fort Myers, according to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
Members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, who are also deputized as part of the U.S. Marshals Task Force, located Nicholson at a local mental health treatment facility around noon and took her into custody without incident.
She was transported to the Lee County Jail.
“This arrest highlights the strong partnership the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has with the U.S. Marshals Service and law enforcement agencies across the country, working together to locate and apprehend wanted fugitives,” Marceno said in a statement to Digital.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of two young toddlers — sisters — in our community,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, wrote on X, announcing Nicholson’s arrest. “May these little ones rest in peace.”
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Law enforcement officials responded to the drowning deaths of two children in Katy, Texas, on Feb. 11, authorities said. (Getty Images)
Authorities have not said how the toddlers were exposed to cocaine or whether investigators believe the substance was ingested accidentally or through neglect.
It also remains unclear whether anyone else could face charges in connection with the case, and when Nicholson will be extradited to Texas to face the charges.
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It was not immediately clear whether Nicholson has retained an attorney. Digital has reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for additional details.
Investigators have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the drowning deaths, and the case remains under investigation.
