LAUDERHILL, Fla. – A 36-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday night in connection with the deaths of her two young daughters, authorities confirmed.
The bodies of Destiny Hogan, 9, and Daysha Hogan, 7, were found on June 22 floating in a canal in Lauderhill.
Their mother, Tinessa Hogan, was arrested around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on two counts of first-degree murder. She refused to appear in court Wednesday morning, but the judge proceeded without her and ordered that she be held without bond.
Lauderhill police did not immediately say what evidence they gathered that the mother was involved in the girls’ deaths.
According to authorities, Destiny’s body was discovered first on the afternoon of June 22 near the intersection of Northwest 21st Street and 56th Avenue.
Daysha’s body was recovered from the same canal later that evening about a half-mile away.
A woman who lives nearby told Local 10 News that Destiny had marks on her body.
“The way how the little girl looked yesterday with all the scratches on her and ... her fists bawled up,” Shakima Birch said. “It just made me cry and I’m like, ‘Was she trying to grab onto something?’ or ‘Was she fighting for her life?’”
Despite the arrest, police say the investigation remains active and they are asking that anyone with information about Tinessa Hogan or her daughters to call the Lauderhill Police Department at 954-497-4700 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.