Juvenile held in killings of 2 Newark children

ELIZABETH - (AP) - Authorities say a juvenile has been taken into custody in the Christmas night slayings of two Newark children.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray plans to provide further details at a news conference this afternoon.

The juvenile was apprehended in connection with the fatal shootings of a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy outside a home in the southern end of Newark near Interstate 78.

A funeral for the girl, Zainee Hailey, is being held Tuesday. The honors student had returned from her grandfather's house in Elizabeth and was taking out the trash when she was shot.

Newark will end 2013 with more than 100 murders, the most the city has had since 2006.

Mother Arrested in Christmas Day Killing of Teen Daughter

Police have arrested the mother of a teen girl who was found murdered on Christmas Day.

According to the Casa Grande, Ariz., Police Department, Connie Villa, 35, allegedly attempted to kill all of four her children and her ex-husband Adam Villa on Dec. 25.

She has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of her daughter, 13-year-old Aniarael Macias, who was found dead in the family apartment bathroom.

Police said they believe that Villa called her ex-husband to come over on Christmas Day so that she could kill him. After he arrived, she allegedly stabbed him repeatedly in the torso, police said. Adam Villa was able to escape and call the police as he drove himself to the hospital.

When police arrived at Villa's apartment, they forced open the door and found her holding a knife to her chest with apparent self-inflicted stab wounds on her torso.

Villa's three younger children, ages 3, 5, and 8, were also found without any stab wounds. Macias' body was found in the bathroom, but she had no visible injuries, Casa Grande Police Department spokesman Thomas Anderson said.

After the younger children were taken to the hospital, trace amounts of opiates were found in their system. Police say they suspect Villa was trying to poison her children.

An autopsy conducted on Anariel on Saturday was inconclusive.

"We are anxiously awaiting the results of the toxicology report to determine that [cause of death]," Anderson said. "Evidence found on scene and interviews of the children give us cause to believe Aniarael was also given some type of prescription narcotic drug."

Connie Villa and Adam Villa were treated at two different hospitals and Adam Villa remained hospitalized today in stable condition. Although Adam Villa is the father of Connie Villa's three younger children, he is not the biological father of Aniarael Macias.

According to police, Aniarael's biological father has been working with investigators since the incident occurred.

Connie Villa was taken into custody by police this morning after she was released from the hospital.

In addition to the first degree murder charge, she faces four charges of attempted murder for allegedly trying to kill Adam Villa and her three younger children. The investigation is ongoing and Villa could face additional charges.

Her three younger children are under the care of Adam Villa's family, while he remains in the hospital, police said.