WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Two children under the age of three, who are also twins, are in recovery after police said their father attempted to drown them early Saturday morning at Dawson Ave Beach in West Haven.
“Every day they start to make a little progress and there’s a lot of hope that their recovery will be well,” said West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer.
Borer confirmed Tuesday that the twins are now out out of the Intensive Care Unit.
The mayor and the group of first responders who rescued the children over the weekend visited the mother of the twins at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. The mother was in New York at the time of the incident, and rushed to Connecticut when she got the call from police.
“I went there just to let her know that even though she’s far from home, that as a community, we really care. We’re here for her,” Borer said.
Borer said as of Monday afternoon, the young boy and girl have been taken off intubation.
Their father, 41-year-old Romney Desronvil of Queens, N.Y., appeared in Milford Superior Court after being charged in connection to the incident. Desronvil has been charged with two counts of Risk of Injury to a Child, two counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder and two counts of Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree.
“These are extremely serious allegations,” the judge said in court on Monday.
Police said two West Haven Officers, Ofc. Miller and Ofc. Williamson, were on patrol early Saturday morning around 2:30 a.m., when they noticed an SUV parked in the sand at Dawson Ave Beach.
“One officer saw the vehicle, radioed to another to come check it out with him. And then they both, when they got there, heard the screams from the water,” said Chief Joseph Perno with the West Haven Police Department.
Court documents describe the actions of the officers, who jumped into the ocean after first thinking Desronvil and his twins were being pulled away by the tide. Then, as they got closer, police said the officers heard Desronvil yelling at them to “get back,” realizing he was attempting to drown the two young children.
Within minutes, backup arrived from the police and fire department, and they pulled the kids to shore.
“We had a two minute on-scene time. The kids were in the ambulance en route to the hospital and during that trip, extraordinary efforts from our paramedics and EMTs to save those children’s lives,” said Chief Stephen Scafariello with the West Haven Fire Department.
“Those children had two guardian angels that night. and it was Officer Williamson and Officer Miller,” Borer said.
Borer said members of the community have been reaching out, wondering how they can help the family. She said she offered hotel and meal arrangements for the mother of the twins, who mentioned she isn’t sleeping or eating much right now.
Borer said the mother was grateful for the offer and will check back in with the community once the kids are feeling better.
“West Haven has such an amazing community. We always have an outpouring of love and support no matter what happens. It doesn’t have to be one of our own,” Borer said. “It’s anyone that we know needs care. So, I wanted to make sure she knew that because she’s in one of the most traumatic incidences that we could ever imagine of her life, and we want to make sure that we’re there for her.”
The officers who witnessed the incident took time to process what they saw, and what could have happened if they weren’t there.
“It’s something that, none ever wants to be in that position, to deal with a child in need. Their innocence, their complete and utter relying on an adult and then to have this happen,” said Chief Joseph Perno of the West Haven Police Department. “It is unimaginable and for my officers to have to have dealt with that two-fold is something that I will never forget.”
Prosecutors said Desronvil has no criminal record, and no ties to the community. The judge granted a mental health evaluation for him and set his bond at $2 million. He’s expected back in court next week.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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