PLACENTIA (CNS) - Grief counselors will be made available today at Golden Elementary School in Placentia to anyone affected by the deaths of two 9-year-old twin sisters stabbed to death by their father, who then stabbed himself and was found dead across the street from the family home in a murder-suicide.
In a statement issued Wednesday by the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, officials encouraged parents of children who needed support to contact their school's counselor to schedule an appointment.
The district confirmed Wednesday the girls were third grade students at Golden Elementary and called their deaths a “tremendous personal loss'' for the girls' family and friends.
Officers went to the 400 block of Swanson Avenue at 12:38 a.m. Wednesday regarding a call of “unknown trouble with two children stabbed,'' Placentia Police Lt. Adam Gloe said in a statement.
It was determined Wednesday night that the girls' mother had called 911, according to Sgt. Joe Connell.
“My husband just stabbed my children,'' the woman is heard saying to an operator. “I have twin girls.''
The suspect was identified as 41-year-old Timothy Takehara, Connell said. Police did not release the names of the victims.
When officers arrived, they found Takehara on a front lawn across the street from his home, Gloe said.
The officers found the twins bleeding inside their home. The girls' mother and grandmother, who is Takehara's mother, were in the home when the attack occurred and police were talking to them to try to find out what happened, Connell said.
The mother and grandmother were asleep in the home when the attack occurred, according to police.
“The children's mother was awakened to this violence, and tried to intervene,'' Sgt. Bryce Angel told Fox11. “However, the male had already completed the act, and ran out of the house. And it looks like he bled out, across the street.''
Officers previously responded to the home in September 2019 for an argument between two adults. An investigation was conducted and no arrests were made and none of the residents were injured, Connell said.
“My heart goes out to the family,'' Angel told reporters at the scene. “This is just a tragic situation for the whole community.''
Placentia Police Chief Darin Lenyi echoed the sentiments of officers at the scene.
“On behalf of the men and women of the Placentia Police Department, we are truly heartbroken by the tragic events that occurred last night.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their family and we will continue to investigate to try and make sense of this horrific crime.''
Angel said crisis counselors were made available to relatives of the victims.
“It is extremely tragic for the family,'' Angel said. “It's just one of those things that we hate to see happen. We're trying to get to the bottom of this, why it happened.''
Attendees at a vigil at Tri-City Park included Placentia police officers and Mayor Ward Smith. The group sang and left notes of condolence for the girls' mother and family.
Photo: Getty Images