Baby Chokes to Death After Mom Dies During Feeding

A tragedy in Hollywood has left a woman and her 1-year-old son dead and a 2-year-old hospitalized in critical condition. Police say the woman likely collapsed three days ago while feeding her baby, who then choked to death on some food, KTLA reports. Their bodies weren't found until Monday. According to the Los Angeles Times, the woman, who was in her early to mid-40s, was diagnosed with bronchitis a few days before her death and may have died as a result. A neighbor who knew she was sick became worried when he couldn't contact her and called 911. Firefighters had to enter the apartment through a second-floor window.

In addition to the bodies of the woman and her 1-year-old son, firefighters and police found a 2-year-old alive, the Times reports. The 2-year-old had apparently found food in the kitchen's lower cabinets to survive but was severely dehydrated. Police haven't identified the woman, who had recently adopted the young brothers, but a friend tells KTLA her name was Erika Tomassian. Her 2-year-old will be taken in by the LA County Department of Children and Family Services upon his release from the hospital, the Times reports. (More death stories.)