A man has reportedly drowned three of his children in Round Lake Beach, a northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States.
The incident came to the fore when the police received a call around 1:40am on Monday from the mother of the kids, who called to request for a well-being check.
According to Round Lake Police Chief, Gilbert Rivera, the mother was supposed to pick them up from their estranged father, with whom she has been sharing custody of the children.
As per CBS, police found the three children – 5-year-old Bryant, 3-year-old Cassidy, and 2-year-old Gideon – dead when they entered the home.
“I cannot fathom the pain this family is going through right now,” Rivera said.
Their father, Jason Karels, was not at home when the bodies were found, but a few hours later, Illinois State Police spotted his car on Interstate 57 near 115th Street, and following a chase across multiple highways, Karels crashed in a wooded area along Interstate 80 near Water Street in Joliet.
As police and firefighters were pulling Karels, 35, from the wreck, he admitted he’d killed his children, and made multiple suicide attempts, but failed.
Autopsies found the preliminary cause of death for all three children was consistent with drowning, according to Lake County Coroner’s Office chief deputy Steve Newton.
Karels was taken to a hospital, and has been charged with three counts of murder. Police said he could face additional charges, and is expected to appear in Lake County court after he is released from the hospital soon.
