http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/10/20/children.drowning.ap/index.html

Affidavit: Mom says spider was 'sign' to drown kids

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/10/20/children.drowning.ap/index.html

Affidavit: Mom says spider was 'sign' to drown kids

Monday, October 20, 2003 Posted: 11:01 PM EDT (0301 GMT)

LAMAR, Colorado (AP) -- A woman accused of drowning her infant son and
4-year-old daughter in a bathtub told police she had received a "sign"
that she should kill the children: a spider crawling across her hand,
according to an arrest affidavit released Monday.

Rebekah Amaya, 32, said she is usually afraid of spiders but "felt at
peace" when the spider crawled on her, the affidavit said. "She felt it
was a sign to set her children free."

She told police she held 5-month-old Gabriel Amaya face up "under the
water until he stopped breathing," then did the same thing to 4-year-old
Grace Headlee, the affidavit said. Leo Amaya, Gabriel's father, found
the children in the bathtub and his wife unconscious when he returned
home from work Thursday.

Shortly after the affidavit was released, Rebekah Amaya appeared in
Prowers County District Court, where a public defender was appointed. He
declined to comment on the case.

Amaya faces first-degree murder charges in Thursday's deaths.

Her formal advisement on the charges was scheduled for November 12.

At first, the woman said her children drowned while taking a bath after
she drank three bottles of wine and passed out, according to Detective
Jason Malterud of the Lamar Police Department. But she later told the
officer she killed them.

(c) 2003 Associated Press



Stoney
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and
SCAMPERMEISTER!"

When in doubt, SCAMPER about!
When things are fair, SCAMPER everywhere!
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/end humour alert

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