Authorities have identified two young girls found dead in a Florida canal on Tuesday, and the girls’ mother has been identified as a “possible person of interest” in their deaths.

Lauderhill Police Lt Mike Bigwood identified the sisters as 9-year-old Destiny Hogan and 7-year-old Daysha Hogan. They were last seen with their mother, 34-year-old Tinessa Hogan, late Monday afternoon near the canal, he said.

Investigators are looking into reports that Tinessa Hogan was “in the canal that she was offering to baptize people in the neighborhood” on Monday.

Bigwood hedged on saying whether Hogan was in custody. He said she was not under arrest, that investigators knew where she was, that she was “not home” and “not out in the community.” While he refused to give a yes or no answer to the question of “in custody,” he said that “in custody is not under arrest.”

“The mother has not been questioned,” he said.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, the “badly decomposing” body of a girl was found face down in a canal shortly after noon on Tuesday, and several hours later, the body of a second girl was found in the same canal.

Bigwood said the first body found was that of Destiny Hogan. Daysha Hogan’s body was found at 8:34 p.m. on Tuesday, he said.

Authorities said the girls did not have visible injuries. An autopsy was performed, but Bigwood said investigators were not ready to release cause and manner of death.

He said investigators have been speaking with members of the family outside Broward County and asked that residents in the neighborhood with information about the girls and their mother contact them.

The girls’ father, he said, has been estranged from the family for most, if not all, of the children’s lives.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:

[Feature image: Destiny Hogan, left, and Daysha Hogan. Inset: Tinessa Hogan/Lauderhill Police Department]