Tiona Islar, 28, told deputies her six-year-old autistic son and three-year-old daughter died after being left in a hot car around 3:30 p.m. in the 7600 block of Chancery Gate, near the Alamo Ranch area by Culebra Road and Alamo Parkway. When deputies arrived, they discovered the children had been brought into the home by their mother, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
Deputies attempted life-saving measures, but the children were pronounced dead at the scene. While the mother reported the children died after being in a hot car, Salazar said there are some “inconsistencies” with her story. Here’s what we know about the case:
The last time the mother reportedly saw the children was about 10 a.m. that morning inside her home, according to Salazar. Islar said she woke up and later found them at 3 p.m. in the car. It was about 92 degrees in San Antonio around that time.
Salazar said some of the evidence investigators have found in the case does not add up with the mother’s story. He did not disclose further information on the evidence, but continued to stress the “inconsistencies” with the hot car incident.
“There just are some inconsistencies with the story that we’re being given, and at present, I’m not too confident. I’m not confident enough to give you all that, that’s definitively what happened,” Salazar said.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the children as six-year-old Sevani Stevenson and three-year-old Miyani Islar. The cause and manner of death have not been released at this time.
Islar was later arrested on the same day for two on-site charges of Injury to a Child SBI/ Death, a second-degree felony. In the state of Texas, a Second-Degree Felony is punishable by imprisonment for two to twenty years and a fine not exceeding $10,000.
Her bond was set at $150,000 for each case, totaling $300,000. Islar has not posted bond as of 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 21.
Salazar said the mother had previously had an encounter with Child Protective Services.
Investigators are still working to determine how the two children died in the case. Officials are asking the neighbors living in the immediate area of Chancery Gate who may have video from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to please contact the BCSO by calling 210-335-6000 or emailing BCSOTIPS@bexar.org.
“Any loss of life is extremely tragic, when you’re talking about, you know, a death involving two children, to the death of two children, certainly, we want to handle that case to the nth degree. As far as details go again, you know, as soon as we’re able to get more information that we can release, we absolutely will,” Salazar said.