Layton mother arrested in deaths of two children

LAYTON — A Layton mother was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of aggravated homicide after her two children were found dead in the family’s home.

Sun Cha Warhola, 44, was booked into the Davis County Jail just before 4 a.m. She is being held without bail on two counts of criminal homicide, aggravated murder.

It appears the two children, identified as Jean Warhola, 7, and James Warhola, 8, may have been strangled, according to a news release from the Layton Police Department.

“It appears that there was a struggle inside the home,” the release reads. “Both children had defensive wounds consistent with a struggle involving the hands. The children had injuries around the neck and throat area.”

Neither a firearm nor a knife appears to have been used during the struggle. The cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner.

Lt. Quinn Moyes said Layton police responded to a call from Kenneth Warhola, 46, just before 7 p.m. Wednesday. Warhola asked officers to check on the welfare of his two children after he came home from work and wasn’t able to locate his family inside his home.

“When he called out, his wife indicated that she would be out shortly,” the release said. “After waiting about 20 minutes, Mr. Warhola became concerned when he discovered the bedroom door to his children’s room was barricaded, and he was not able to enter the room.”

Warhola went to a neighbor’s home to call police after he could not find their own house phone.

When officers arrived at the Warhola’s home, located at 2184 N. Snowqualmie Circle, they found the two children unresponsive in the bedroom.

Medical personnel responding to the scene determined both children were deceased.

Kenneth, who lives in the home with Sun and their two children, was not in the house when police arrived. Sun was found in the same bedroom as the children.

Both parents were interviewed separately late Wednesday night by police, before Sun was arrested.

The investigation is on-going, and police are looking into prior calls to the house to determine if there is any correlation.