The bodies of two children were found frozen in this east side Detroit apartment building. (credit: Stephanie Davis/WWJ)

DETROIT (WWJ) – Detroit police are investigating after the bodies of two children were found inside a freezer in a low-income apartment building on the city’s east side.

The horrifying discovery was made late Tuesday morning when a court officer went to serve an eviction notice at a unit in the Martin Luther King Apartments, in the 800 block of St Aubin Street, in the area of Lafayette and Larned.

Detroit police Chief James Craig said the children — a boy and his older sister — were 11 and 14 years old.

The bodies, “inside of a plastic bag, appeared to be frozen,” Craig said.

A tip from a neighbor helped police to identify the children’s mother, who was not at the scene when the bodies were found.

“So, from that information from that community member we responded and detained her for further investigation,” Craig said.

The mother, who has not been identified, was arrested late Tuesday.

Craig said the case is being investigated as a double homicide.

Neighbor Tori Childs knows the mother and suspects she is involved.

“I’m angry at her for doing that,” said Childs. “So you kill your kids and then leave them – so the kids died cold, lonely, it’s just not right.

“My heart hurts for them, like, I wish I could see Debbie and the other baby so I could just hug them,” said Childs after seeing the bodies removed from the home.

Childs says the mother was going through some tough times.

The woman’s two other children — ages 11 and 17 — were found at a neighbor’s home and placed in protective custody.

“There are two other children that live in the home,” said Craig. “They are in protective custody, as well. Not harmed at all.”

Memorial (2)

Memorial (3)

Memorial

As the afternoon faded into night, a makeshift memorial was created by neighbors searching for an outlet for their sorrow.

It’s not yet clear how the victims died. Autopsies will be conducted by the Wayne County Medical Examiner.

No names have been released.

Earlier information by police that one of the bodies was that of a middle-aged woman turned out to be incorrect.