Police charged a Delaware mother with the murder of her 5-month-old son and his 5-year-old half-brother after investigators said she was concerned she would be deported despite in the country legally, according to People.

The mother, Kula Pelima, 30, of Delaware, was reportedly arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
The victims are her biological son, Solomon Epelle, and Alex Epelle, her boyfriend’s son by another woman, according to People.

The mother reportedly called 911 claiming she was concerned about being deported after the children’s father had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, police said.

Pelima is an immigrant from Liberia who came to the United States legally at age 10.

Police said her boyfriend, Victor Epelle, a native of Nigeria, was picked up by federal agents October 6, but officers did not have information pertaining to why Epelle had been detained.

The local police chief said the officer who responded to Pelima’s first 911 call told her she would not be arrested. The chief said the officer gave the mother the number to a help-line for further information. The officer responding reportedly saw the 5-year-old during the call and did not notice anything suspicious.

Pelima reportedly placed another call hours later in which she allegedly confessed to drowning the two children.
Police said the mother sounded “controlled” when she placed the second call claiming the children were dead. The police said she did not sound like “someone that just murdered two children.”

She reportedly showed police the tub containing the boy’s dead bodies. Officers said the stove was also on in the home.
Calls to Delaware prosecutors concerning the case were not returned, according to People.

Meanwhile Pelima is reportedly being held on a $2 million cash bond, has not entered a plea and it is not known whether she has hired an attorney for representation.

[Featured image: Wilmington Police Department]