Police arrest mum of boys found drowned in Ross River

The mother of two boys who drowned in Cranbrook in February has been arrested by police. Police have called it a ‘catastrophic result’ and allege the boys were regularly left unsupervised.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following story contains images of people who have died.

THE mother of two boys found submerged in the Ross River at Cranbrook has been arrested in relation to their deaths.

Leanne Chyrsilla Eatts was arrested on Friday and driven to the Townsville watch-house.

It is expected she will be charged later this afternoon.

Townsville Child Protection and Investigation Unit officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said the charges would be related to the “care and responsibility a parent should have for their children”.

“This is a catastrophic result for this family,” Snr Sgt Miles said.

Mother Leeann Eatts pictured at the memorial and smoking ceremony for her two sons, Barak Austral 5 and Jhulio Sariago 3. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Snr Sgt Miles said police will allege the boys were left regularly unsupervised.

“You as a parent have an obligation under the law in relation to the care and provision of that care to the children,” he said.

“She’s been solely responsible for the failure, as we are going to allege, in relation to these two young boys.”

Police will be opposing her bail and Eatts is expected to appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on Saturday.

Barak Austral, 5, and Jhulio Sariago, 3, were found submerged in a steep and deep cutaway of the Ross River in Cranbrook on the morning of February 26.

They were found within 2 metres of each other.

The little boys went missing from their Brett St home between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on February 25.

Supplied image of Barak Austral, 5. Barak died in the Ross River after going missing in February.

Their disappearance sparked one of the most resource-intensive search operations in Townsville’s recent history.

More than 100 community members, SES and Rural Fire Services volunteers, firefighters and police officers searched on land and in waterways for hours as the emergency helicopter took to the skies.

It was an Amber Alert ­issued by authorities just after 11.30pm that sparked a groundswell of support from the community, with up to 40 residents from across Townsville getting out of bed to help search.

About 40 police officers, ­including the dog squad, ­detectives, general duties officers, officers from Rapid ­Action Patrol and Water Police were also involved.

The two brothers were laid to rest in a shared coffin at Thorak Regional Cemetery in Darwin after a farewell on March 25.

Originally published as Police arrest mum of boys found drowned in Ross River