A New York man was arrested this weekend for allegedly attempting to drown his two children on a beach in Connecticut. The West Haven Police Department reported in a social media post on Saturday, June 22, that an officer on patrol spotted a Nissan SUV parked on a local beach and “heard significant screaming taking place from the water” around 2:31 a.m. local time.
Responding to the screams, the officer saw a man and two small children in the water. As the officer approached, the man began to “drift further away with the children while screaming at the responding officers to ‘stay back,'” according to the West Haven Police.
The man, later identified as 41-year-old Romney Desronvil of Queens, was “deliberately drowning his children,” police stated. “Officers immediately entered the water and were nearly 100 yards away from shore at this time. Other officers on scene joined members of the West Shore Fire Department and entered the water utilizing the West Shore Fireboat,” the police department continued.
The first officer was able to “gain possession” of the children and bring them to shore with the help of others. The children were then transported to a local hospital, where “life-saving measures” were administered by police, ABC News reported.Â
Citing a Saturday news conference, local outlet New Haven Register reported that Police Chief Joseph Perno said Desronvil is expected to be charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of risk of injury. The incident remains under investigation.
“It is without a doubt the swift response by our patrol officers saved the lives of these children,” the department stated. “The communication and collaborative efforts made by the West Shore Fire Department and eventually the New Haven Police Department allowed for immediate medical aid and also the apprehension of Desronvil.”
In the news conference shared by CT Insider, West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer praised “the brave work of our officers” for their response. “These two children, they had guardian angels this morning, and the name of their guardian angels were Officer Williamson and Officer Miller,” she said, calling their efforts “truly remarkable.”
According to the New Haven Register, the mayor mentioned that the children appeared to be improving, as Chief Perno added both were under 3 years old. Perno also shared that their mother was in New York at the time of the alleged attempted drowning and arrived in New Haven by Saturday afternoon.
West Shore Fire Chief Stephen Scafariello added during the news conference that firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics “went to work immediately” on the children upon arrival. He said it took 22 minutes from the time of dispatch to the time the children received care at the hospital. “I would like to personally commend our firefighters who transported both patients in our rescue truck,” Scafariello said. “They provided care to the highest level.”