Mom charged with drowning 3 kids near famed NY boardwalk

FILE - New York Police investigators examine a stretch of beach at Coney Island where three...
FILE - New York Police investigators examine a stretch of beach at Coney Island where three children were found dead in the surf, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, in New York. Authorities believe the children may have been drowned by their mother.(AP Photo/Joseph Frederick)
Published: Sep. 14, 2022 at 4:41 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City mom accused of drowning her three children in the Atlantic Ocean has been charged with murder.

Authorities announced the charges Wednesday, two days after Erin Merdy was found wandering barefoot and soaking wet on Brooklyn’s Coney Island boardwalk.

The city medical examiner determined Tuesday that 7-year-old Zachary Merdy, 4-year-old Liliana Merdy and 3-month-old Oliver Bondarev died by drowning.

Merdy has undergone a psychiatric evaluation and remained in the hospital Wednesday.

It wasn’t clear when she might be arraigned in court.

Relatives said in interviews that Merdy appeared to have been struggling with the children.