Police said one child died at the hospital and another remained hospitalized.
DURHAM, N.C. — A Durham mother has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder after police said two small children were found unresponsive inside a home Thursday evening and one later died at a hospital.
Andrea Morgan Faust, 41, was arrested Friday and taken to the Durham County Detention Facility, where she was held without bond, police said. Investigators have not publicly identified the children or described what caused their injuries. Police said the investigation remained active as detectives and crime scene personnel worked through the night and into Friday.
Officers were called shortly before 5:30 p.m. Thursday to a home in the 10 block of Chartwell Court, a neighborhood near N.C. 98, police said. When officers arrived, they found two young children inside the home and both were unresponsive. Durham County EMS responded, and both children were taken from the house to a hospital, authorities said. One child died after arriving at the hospital, police said, and the other child remained hospitalized Friday. The street stayed blocked off late into Thursday night as investigators secured the area and collected evidence.
Police announced Thursday night that the case was being treated as a homicide investigation and said they had identified a person of interest. By Friday morning, Faust had been arrested and charged, according to police and jail records referenced by local news outlets. Investigators have not released a timeline of what happened inside the home before officers arrived, and they have not said whether any weapon, toxic exposure, or medical emergency played a role. Police also have not said whether anyone else was inside the home at the time. Neighbors told reporters it was unclear whether the children’s father was home when officers responded.
As investigators worked the scene, law enforcement vehicles and Durham County EMS units were visible in the neighborhood, and crime scene activity continued into Friday morning. Forensics investigators remained at the home through about 7 a.m. Friday, collecting evidence and towing an SUV that was outside the house, according to reports from the scene. Authorities have not said why the vehicle was towed or what evidence they were seeking, and they have not released search warrant details. Police asked anyone with information related to the case to contact Durham police, including Cpl. E. Gaither, and to submit tips through CrimeStoppers.
Neighbors described shock in the tight, residential cul-de-sac as details emerged. Charlene Montford, who said she had known Faust for about 14 years, told reporters she could not believe police activity was centered on Faust’s home. Montford described Faust as a good neighbor and a devoted mother. She said Faust appeared to be under increasing stress in recent years, particularly after the birth of her second child, and she believed family health challenges took a toll. Other neighbors told reporters the children were brothers and both were younger than 5, though police have not confirmed their ages or relationship.
Authorities have released few details about the condition of the surviving child beyond confirming the child remained hospitalized Friday. Police did not disclose where the children were taken for treatment, and the hospital did not release information. A spokesperson for Durham’s Department of Social Services told reporters the agency could not comment on any investigation involving a family, citing North Carolina laws that restrict disclosure of child protective services information. That statement left unanswered questions about whether the agency had prior contact with the family and what services might have been offered, if any.
Faust’s charges, first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, are among the most serious in North Carolina and can carry severe penalties if a defendant is convicted. Police have not described what evidence supported the specific charges, and prosecutors had not publicly outlined an alleged motive in the days immediately following the incident. Investigators typically rely on medical findings, interviews, digital records, and physical evidence gathered at the scene to build a case, but authorities have not said what they recovered from the home or the vehicle that was towed. Police have also not said whether additional charges could follow as the investigation continues.
Police said Faust was scheduled to appear in court next week, a hearing that is expected to address the initial stages of the case, including confirming charges and conditions of detention. In the meantime, detectives continued to seek information from the public, including any observations from the neighborhood around the time officers responded Thursday evening. Police said tipsters could contact investigators directly or submit information through CrimeStoppers, which advertised cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrests in felony cases.
Author note: Last updated February 15, 2026.