A mother and her one-year-old son were found dead in their apartment, with her two-year-old boy left scavenging for food and water.

Erika Tomassian and her adopted baby Michael had been lying lifeless for two days at the 1600 block on North Fuller Avenue in Los Angeles.

Her other son, Nathan, was found alive in the flat suffering from severe dehydration.

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Erika Tomassian and her adopted baby Michael had been lying lifeless for two days at the 1600 block on North Fuller Avenue in Los Angeles

A worried neighbor, who hadn't heard from Miss Tomassian for days and could hear Nathan crying, phoned the police.

The Los Angeles Police Department had to break into the second floor home yesterday, where they found Miss Tomassian and Michael dead.

Miss Tomassian, who is in her mid-40s had been treated from bronchitis and police believe she may have died from complications of her illness.

She was feeding Michael at the time in her kitchen when she collapsed.

The baby, who was found strapped into a high chair, had choked on the food and died.

Police were forced to break into the apartment at 1600 block on North Fuller Avenue in Los Angeles

Miss Tomassian was originally from Sydney, Australia, and moved to America where she worked as a marketing director at 7 Stars Production

LAPD Lt John Jenal told KTLA5: 'What adds tragedy to this is that this woman had just opened up her heart and her home to these two boys and adopted them.

'We do know from a person that was actually checking up on her that she had had a medical condition a few days prior, but was released from a hospital '

Investigators found no suspicious circumstances regarding the deaths.

Police are trying to locate blood relatives of Nathan, who is being cared for at a hospital.