A toddler was left alone for days inside an apartment after his mum died suddenly while feeding his baby brother, who also choked to death.
The two-year-old boy was found wandering around helplessly and severely dehydrated by police following reports from a neighbour about a crying child.
His mother, Erika Tomassian, was found dead in a seated position on the floor at the Hollywood apartment, the Daily News reported.
The body of the toddler's one-year-old brother was found strapped into a chair nearby, dead.
Neighbours said the mother, 45 yearErika, had recently adopted the boys, named as Nathan and younger brother Michael. Authorities said she was raising the boys alone.
Firefighters broke into the apartment through a second floor window, where they found the tragic family around 3pm on Monday.
LAPD spokeswoman Liliana Preciado said:
"It's very sad. He (Nathan) was fending for himself, opening drawers and trying to find food."
The cause of death for Ms Tomassian, is as yet unclear.
Some media reported that she may have been suffering from bronchitis while police said she had visited her doctor just days ago, but the reason was not disclosed.
Baby Michael choked to death on food, Preciado said. His death was ruled accidental, and there was no evidence of foul play.
Nathan was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is reportedly in a stable condition.
He is thought to have been alone with the bodies of his mum
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