Mother arrested after her two toddler daughters drowned in pool with cocaine in their systems

Officers have arrested a 23-year-old woman after two young children were found drowned in a swimming pool.

Police responded to a report two girls, aged two and three, drowning in a pool at the home in Texas on February 11 2026.

An investigation was launched by Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and after three months of looking into the tragedy officers determined that the two children had cocaine in their systems at the time of their deaths.

Following the investigation the girls' mom Laura Nicholson was arrested Monday in Fort Myers, Florida, and was charged with two counts of injury to a child on May 8 2026.

The law in Texas says that the offence of injury to a child can also be made up of an action or an omission which places a child in imminent danger or causes serious bodily harm.

Officers have not yet shared publicly any specific alleged actions that have led to them charging Nicholson with the offence.

Police were called to reports of two children drowning (ABC13 Houston/Getty)

They have also not published at this time when toxicology testing, analysis of whether any chemicals are present in the body of a deceased person which may have contributed to their death, confirmed that cocaine was present in the children's bodies.

Police have also not yet shared any specific evidence which has led to the charges against Nicholson, including any evidence for how the cocaine got into the girls' systems.

The 23-year-old mom was tracked down in Florida after Harris County Sheriff’s Office's Violent Criminals Apprehension Team worked with the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, and they were able to locate her despite her moving across state lines.

Lee County Sheriff's Office found Nicholson at a local mental health treatment center, where she was taken into police custody.

Police launched an investigation prior to the mom's arrest (ABC13 Houston/Getty)

Nicholson has now been booked into the Lee County Jail. She will now need to be extradited to Texas to face the charges in court.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno has now shared a statement on the case, telling Fox News Digital: “This arrest highlights the strong partnership the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has with the US Marshals Service and law enforcement agencies across the country, working together to locate and apprehend wanted fugitives."

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has also shared a statement on social media confirming that Nicholson had been arrested, writing: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of two young toddlers — sisters — in our community. May these little ones rest in peace.”