A Russian navy officer has been detained after throwing two twin girls out of an 8th-floor window. The 8-year-old siblings, the daughters of his live-in lover, luckily survived.
After committing the crime, he sent a text message to their mother that read: “You may say goodbye to Dasha and Katya.”
The tragedy took place in Moscow on Thursday night. The motives of the lieutenant commander, Nicholay Zakharkin, are not yet clear.
Pravda.ru is citing a source in the Moscow police claiming that the 31-year-old was jealous of the girls’ mother, as she wasn’t at home late that night.
There were also reports that the man was drunk, but neighbors who saw Zakharkin taken away claimed that he looked “pretty sober.”
Both girls managed to survive the fall. Passersby, police officers and medics gave first aid to the siblings, who were taken to the hospital in serious condition.
One of the sisters is still in intensive care. According to the doctors, she has a concussion, five broken ribs, a ruptured liver and retroperitoneal blood boil. The medics also suspect she has a damaged spine.
The second girl fell through the crown of a tree, which allowed her to avoid serious injuries. Doctors described her condition as moderate. She has a ruptured spleen, but it does not need surgery.
A criminal case for “attempted murder of two or more persons” has been launched against Zakharkin.