California mom, 45, faces murder charges after 'killing her son, 12, and critically injuring her seven year old' - a decade after she was jailed for trying to drown the elder boy

  • Sherri Telnas, 45, was arrested Saturday and could face murder charges
  • She allegedly killed her son, 12, and critically injured her other child, seven
  • Police said they received a call because Telnas had been 'acting strangely'
  • The caller said she had taken the two children to a corn field across the street
  • The children were then found unresponsive in a full irrigation ditch
  • The 12-year-old is reportedly the same child she tried to drown in 2008 when he was 10-months-old 
  • Telnas' family said that she suffers from mental illness 

A California woman faces murder charges after allegedly killing her son and critically injuring her other child. 

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office said that Sherri Telnas, 45, was taken into custody and faces murder charges following an incident that occurred Saturday morning. 

Police said they received a call at about 5.25am stating that Telnas was 'acting strangely' and that she had taken her sons, ages seven and 12, across the street to a field. 

Sherri Telnas, 45, faces murder charges after allegedly killing her 12-year-old son and critically injuring her seven-year-old son early Saturday morning

Sherri Telnas, 45, faces murder charges after allegedly killing her 12-year-old son and critically injuring her seven-year-old son early Saturday morning

Jackson Telnas, 12, died from the injuries he sustained. His mother was previously incarcerated for attempting to drown him when he was 10-months-old in 2008

Jackson Telnas, 12, died from the injuries he sustained. His mother was previously incarcerated for attempting to drown him when he was 10-months-old in 2008

While deputies were on their way to the Porterville, California, address the caller provided, they learned that Telnas' two children had been discovered unresponsive in a full irrigation ditch near a corn field. 

The children's grandmother and a neighbor were said to have given the boys CPR until the deputies arrived at the scene and provided medical aid, according to ABC 30.

The children were then transported to the hospital. 

The 12-year-old boy, Jackson, died from the injuries he sustained, while his seven-year-old brother, Jacob, is said to be in critical condition. 

The older son's cause of death is pending an autopsy.  The injuries the boys sustained have not yet been revealed.

Authorities said that Telnas was taken into custody without any incident and could face murder charges. 

Family members told ABC 30 that Telnas had a history of mental health problems.  

Authorities said Jackson (in green) and Jacobs (second from left) were found unresponsive in a full irrigation ditch near a corn field. Telnas was taken into custody at the scene

Jackson (right) died at the hospital while Jacob (left) is said to be in critical condition

Jackson (right) died at the hospital while Jacob (left) is said to be in critical condition

The irrigation ditch where Telnas' two children were said to have been found. The boys' grandmother and a neighbor performed CPR on them until authorities arrived

The irrigation ditch where Telnas' two children were said to have been found. The boys' grandmother and a neighbor performed CPR on them until authorities arrived

Telnas was said to have been incarcerated for criminal endangerment in Montana, stemming for an April 2008 incident in which she attempted to drown her 10-month-old baby — the same child who died Saturday — in Clark Fork River. 

During that incident, a still-wet Telnas, then 34, had taken her infant to the hospital, according to a report in Missoulian. A medical examination of the child was said to have shown that he had been submerged under water 'for an appreciable period of time and had water in his lungs.' 

The child was eventually released into his father's care. Telnas was said to have been in a depressive state at the time and did not remember what happened, but that she had ultimately saved his life by performing CPR on him following the attempted drowning. 

Family members have said that the 2008 incident was the result of Telnas' mental illness.  

Telnas could be charged as early as Monday afternoon, according to the Visalia Times Delta

A GoFundMe page set up Sunday to raise funds for funeral and medical costs identified the 12-year-old boy as Jackson Telnas and his little brother as Jacob.  

'Jackson was a sweet, funny, smart & kind 12 year old who was so very loved by his family,' according to the fundraising page, which also noted that 'Jackson was so loved & will be missed enormously. All we can do now is to hope for little Jacob's recovery.'  

Anyone with information about Saturday's incident is asked to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit Det. Miguel Franco or Sergeant Gary Marks at (559) 802-9563 or (800) 808-0488