Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester woman is accused of trying to kill her five young children last week.

Rochester Police Lt. Mike Sadauskis says the woman placed the children in her vehicle in a closed garage. Sadauskis says evidence indicates the woman closed the windows of the vehicle, ran a hose from the vehicle’s exhaust to the interior and then started the engine.

Sadauskis says it appears the children and their mother were in the vehicle for as long as two hours.

Some of the children became sick and one threw up. That’s when the mother turned off the motor and the children got out of the vehicle. Sadauskis says the mother punched one of the children in the face.

The incident happened Oct. 1st but police were unaware until a few days later.

Police first became involved when the woman’s sister called Oct. 2nd to report she was concerned about her mental health. Officers found nothing unusual and were leaving when the two women got into a fight.

The mother was taken to St. Marys Hospital for an evaluation and social workers took the children into protective custody the next day. They were interviewed and that’s when investigators learned of the murder/suicide attempt.

Sadauskis says investigators began working on the case. When it was learned the woman was being discharged from St. Marys on Wednesday, it was decided to take her into custody.

Sadauskis says 32-year-old Farhiyo Abdullahi is expected to face 5 counts of attempted 1st-degree murder. Her children are 4, 7, 9, 10 and 11-years-old.

The incident took place at an apartment complex in the 200 block of 1st St NE.

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