Texas mother sobs in court after allegedly killing her two children in a burning car as family says her mental health had been declining for nearly a year

The Texas mother accused of killing her two young children — whose bodies were found inside a smoldering car — sobbed uncontrollably during her first court appearance as her family revealed her deteriorating mental health over the last year.Marlene Vidal, 34, had tears streaming down her face as she appeared before a Bexar County judge Friday, hours after she allegedly murdered her children, Adrian Akeel, 5, and Aleeza Elena, 7, in San Antonio, according to video obtained by WOAI.The children were discovered inside a charred white Hyundai SUV after police and firefighters responded to a vehicle fire in a parking lot behind a San Antonio warehouse, following a call from a dog walker at around 5 a.m., officials said.When officers arrived at the scene, they found Vidal nearby.She identified herself as the children’s mother, and told them “that she was the one that we would be looking for,” San Antonio Police Assistant Chief Jesse Salame said.Police said Vidal had driven more than 200 miles from her hometown of Edinburg to San Antonio on Thursday — a roughly three-hour trip — before the children were found dead the following morning.It remains unclear whether the children died before the fire or were burned to death.

The medical examiner has not released their identities or cause of death, though family members have identified them as the victims.Salame told KSAT that investigators are still working to pin down a motive, but said mental health issues may have played a role in the killings.A Child Protective Services spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that the agency had previously investigated Vidal before the killings but declined to provide further details, adding that a child fatality report would be released upon completion of the investigation.The day before Vidal traveled to San Antonio, Edinburg police were called to a Walmart after reports that the mother of two was acting erratically — and was spotted pushing a cart containing lighter fluid a...