Man arrested after allegedly trying to drown children on Connecticut beach: police

Two children are recovering in a Connecticut intensive care unit after police officers stopped their father from allegedly trying to drown them on a West Haven beach early Saturday morning, according to investigators.

A West Haven Police Department patrol officer spotted an SUV parked on the beach on Dawson Avenue around 2:30 a.m. and heard screams coming from the water as the officer inspected the car, according to investigators.

The officer encountered Romney Desronvil, 41, with two children in the water, police said.

“As the officer entered the water, the adult male continued to drift farther away with the children while yelling at responding officers to 'stay back,'” West Haven police said in a statement. “It was obvious at that point that the man…was deliberately drowning his children.”

Additional police and fire personnel entered the water to assist, going up to 100 meters from shore, police said.

Officers were able to pull the children away from their father and bring them to shore to save their lives before they were rushed to the hospital, investigators said.

Desronvil, a resident of Queens, New York, was arrested and charged with two counts each of attempted homicide and risk of injury, according to investigators.

Information from the suspect's attorney was not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.