New details continue to emerge about the man who allegedly killed his children in his Sacramento apartment last week.

Sacramento Bee reports that Robert Hodges, 32, appeared at an arraignment at a Yolo County courthouse on Monday, where he stood emotionless while listening to the charges against him. After learning a judge charged him with three counts of murder, Hodges pleaded not guilty.

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said that Hodges willfully murdered his three children, Kelvin Hodges, 11, Julia Hodges, 9, and Lucas Hodges, 7 months. He’s also charged with attempted murder on his wife, Mai Sheng Hodges. Although Reisig didn’t describe how Hodges allegedly killed the baby, he said that the suspect murdered the two oldest children by strangling them with a belt.

Reisig also said Hodges planned the murders in advance, which means he could possibly face the death penalty, although the prosecutor hasn’t yet specified if he plans to pursue the death sentence.

ORIGINAL Story: Three children killed; mother’s husband in custody for their murders: Police

Authorities arrested Hodges on Wednesday night as he drove down Interstate 80 and West El Camino Avenue at around midnight. Back at his apartment at the Timbers Apartments on Touchstone Place in West Sacramento, three deceased were found after Mai Sheng Hodges called 911 at around 9:30 to report a domestic dispute.

Police report the mother “was in close proximity” when her husband allegedly murdered them. West Sacramento Police Sgt. Roger Kinney said the mother was a domestic violence victim but he couldn’t detail how extensive her injuries were.

READ More: ‘Dad’ kills his three children after violently beating wife: Cops [UPDATE]

“It’s horrific and it’s very difficult to deal with,” Kinney said. ‘This [investigation] is going to take not hours, not days, it’s going to take a long time a long time to come to grips with what happened there.”

Shortly after her husband’s arrest, Mai Sheng Hodges took to Facebook and explained that he didn’t abuse the family previously. She wrote that he was once a “loving father.”

Hodges also faces “special circumstances” in his case, meaning capital punishment is a possibility should prosecutors decide to pursue it. According to court documents, Hodges “lied in wait” for the victims before killing them and before attempting to kill his wife by smothering her. She somehow broke free from his grip and ran from their apartment.

A judge ordered Hodges to remain in the Yolo County jail without bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for October 2.

[Feature Photo: Facebook]