Memorial erected for Florida twins found dead inside Sanford home

SANFORD, Fla. - Blue and pink balloons, stuffed animals, and prayer candles adorn the mailbox at 1816 Alexander Avenue.

It’s a grim reminder of two young lives tragically cut short inside the home at the Sanford, Florida address. Deputies found twin five-year-olds Ava and Ahmad Jackson dead inside their home on Friday. 

Rafael Gonzalez lives three houses down the street from the scene of the crime. After learning of the twins’ untimely deaths, he said, "It's really sad because I have my own grandkids and daughters."

Gonzalez described the twins’ mother, Catorreia as someone who kept to herself. 

"We would barely see her, outside the house. She was basically inside," at all times he said.

She didn’t interact with her fellow neighbors much either, he says.

When he learned that Hutto, who reportedly jumped to her death off the State Road 417 bridge over Lake Jesup on Friday, allegedly killing the children, he couldn’t believe it.

"They [children] shouldn't pay for our mistakes or our problems," he said.

He is still trying to wrap his head around why a mother would do something like this to her own flesh and blood. 

FOX 35 News spoke with licensed mental health counselor Erin Martin.

"What must have been going on in that woman's head, where she would be in a position to do something like that?" she said.

Martin said while stories like this are tragic and sad, they bring light to the importance of looking out for the people we love, and the importance of understanding that help is available.

"There are always options," he said. "There is always something they can do, and they may just not know what resources are available to them."

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, dial 988. It is the Suicide and Crisis lifeline. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The twins' official cause of death is pending investigation by the medical examiner. FOX 35 reached out to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office for an update on this investigation and has yet to hear back.