A Queens father was arrested Saturday morning after he was caught trying to drown his two young children at a beach in West Haven, Conn., police said.
An officer on patrol near Ocean and Dawson avenues spotted an SUV parked on the beach around 2:30 a.m., the West Haven Police Department wrote on Facebook. As he approached, the officer heard desperate screams coming from the water and quickly raced toward the commotion.
When the officer reached the coastline, he spotted a man, identified as 41-year-old Romney Desronvil, and his two small children drifting farther and farther away, police said.
The father called out, telling him to stay away, at which point the officer determined Desronvil was intentionally attempting to drown his children.
Additional officers and firefighters were called to the scene and provided assistance in rescue boats. They eventually managed to reach the trio, who had drifted some 100 yards away from the shore, police said.
Emergency responders began life-saving measures immediately after the children were pulled from the water. They were rushed to an area hospital and remained in the intensive care unit Saturday afternoon.
Desronvil was arrested on the scene and charges are pending, police said. They did not provide additional details.
