Woman Accused of Killing her 4 Children and Husband

A woman has been accused of killing her four children and husband in Atlanta, authorities have confirmed.

Isabel Martinez is accused of stabbing her husband and four kids to death in their home in Georgia on Thursday morning. The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the 33-year-old is being held without bond at the county jail. Authorities also disclosed that she faces five counts of murder, five counts of “malice murder” (“where all the circumstances of the killing show an abandoned and malignant heart,” according to Georgia code) and six counts of aggravated assault.

Police said the remains of the children and their father was discovered shortly before 5 a.m. at a home near Loganville, Georgia, 30 miles east of Atlanta. Police also unveiled the identity of the victims, but declined further comment. The victims have been identified as 7-year-old Dacota Romero, 10-year-old Isabela Martinez, 4-year-old Dillan Romero, 2-year-old Axel Romero and 33-year-old Martin Romero, the father of the four.

Authorities say a fifth child, 9-year-old Diana Romero, survived the stabbing, but is in serious but stable condition at a children's hospital in Atlanta.
"This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims, but for the extended family, neighborhood and community," police said. "We are hoping and praying that the remaining victim survives."

“We continue to pray for Diana’s recovery, both physically and emotionally as she learns about what happened to her father and siblings,” Gwinnett County Police said in a statement.
A search warrant has been obtained by investigators and authorities say some neighbors are being interviewed. Authorities also revealed Martinez “has been cooperative with the investigators.”

A relative of the family testified that the family only recently moved there from Illinois and that Isabel Martinez is still recovering from the shock of losing her father. Police have also declined discussing Martinez’s motive.
In a related development, federal authorities say Isabel Martinez, identified as Maria Isabel Garduno-Martinez is an illegal immigrant of Mexican descent.

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