A Colorado mother has been arrested for stabbing her teen daughter and young son to death.

Claudia Camacho-Duenas, 37, was arrested in the city of Glenwood Springs in the US state of Colorado on 30th December on two counts of first-degree murder.

She is accused of fatally stabbing her two children, aged 18 and 11. She reportedly chased one of them through a car park before attacking them.

The Glenwood Springs Police Department (GSPD) said in a statement on 31st December: “On December 30, 2021, at approximately 2:34 P.M. the Glenwood Springs Police Department responded to a reported stabbing. This was an ‘in progress’ event occurring within a multi-unit apartment complex.

“Officers arrived quickly to find two victims suffering from significant injuries. Life saving measures were provided and the victims were transported to an area hospital.

“Simultaneously, Officers found an adult female being restrained by an uninvolved civilian. Officers were told the woman being restrained was responsible for the assault and she was detained w/o incident.

“It appeared the initial assault occurred within an apartment unit and continued into the parking lot area. Officers were able to quickly determine there were no outstanding suspects nor was there any continuing threat to the public’s safety.”

Despite the best efforts of medical professionals, the young victims could not be saved and they died of their injuries.

The police said: “After an extensive review of the evidence and witness statements, it was determined Ms Duenas is the biological mother of both victims. She was arrested and booked at the Garfield County Jail.”

The GSPD added that the “investigation will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review for appropriate disposition”, stating: “At this point we have provided probable cause statements to detail the circumstances for the arrest of Ms Duenas.

“This type of violence is uncharacteristic for our community and our first responders (Police/Fire) are personally affected by this event. We recognize this affects everyone in our community and we mourn this inexplicable loss of life of these two very young people.”

The police said: “We will not offer any further information with respect to any evidence or the criminal justice process moving forward. We would ask that any inquiries in this area are directed to the District Attorney’s Office.

“It is critical to respect that although Ms. Duenas has been arrested, she is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

The police probe is ongoing.