In the summer of 2012, a quiet Tucson, Arizona neighborhood was shattered by a tragic event that claimed the lives of two young children. On August 11th, 17-month-old Richard Rosovich Jr. and his 4-year-old sister, Emma Rosovich, were fatally shot in their home. The initial call to the Tucson Police Department was made by the children's mother, Perla Morales, reporting the death of her child.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement officers discovered a grim scene.
Richard was found deceased inside the residence, while his sister Emma was critically injured. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, Emma succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Both children had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation quickly focused on the children's mother, 25-year-old Perla Morales. After being treated for non-life-threatening injuries that she had inflicted upon herself, Morales was taken into police custody. Investigators determined that an argument with her boyfriend had preceded the fatal shootings. Following her release from the hospital, Morales was arrested and booked on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her son and daughter. She later admitted to the police that she was responsible for shooting her children. There were no prior reports of abuse or neglect involving the family with Child Protective Services.
