Wisconsin Mother Strangles Son, Tries To Drowns Another Thinking Russian Govt Would 'Abuse' Them

A woman has allegedly strangled her 8-year-old son to death and tried to drown her 11-year-old child in a bathtub inside their Wisconsin home, fearing the Russian government would "take her children and abuse them."

Natalia Aleksandrovna Hitchcock, 41, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide for the incidents. She made her first appearance in Sheboygan County Court Tuesday after her 8-year-old son, Oliver Hitchcock, passed away on April 1.

Cops arrived at the family's apartment on March 30 after being informed about a boy getting stabbed and a woman wanting to kill herself, TMJ4 reported, citing a criminal complaint that was released Tuesday.

Oliver was then found lying unconscious on his back with bruises around his neck, which suggested that he was strangled. The boy was rushed to the hospital but died two days later.

When Natalia, who has Russian roots, spoke to the police, she said someone was "controlling her mind" and she was "poisoned." She also told investigators she began thinking "the Russian government was going to take her children and abuse them," according to the outlet.

"When asked what happened to her son, Hitchcock said, 'I suffocate him.' When asked why she suffocated her child, Hitchcock said, 'I did not want him to be abused,'" the criminal complaint noted.

Natalia's husband, who tried to give the boy CPR and called 911, claimed the mother "became violent when she was angry" and experienced "surges of rage," according to Law & Crime. He said she was triggered by the news of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

"He said that he felt the war between Russia and Ukraine amped up Hitchcock more than ever and that she started to drink alcohol," the complaint also indicated, as per the outlet.

The husband added that Natalia had not been diagnosed with any mental health disorders prior to the incidents.

Natalia has also been accused of dunking her 11-year-old son's head underwater in a bathtub the day before she strangled Oliver. She reportedly told cops she never intended to kill the older son and only wanted "to scare him so that he would understand his life was in danger."

The mother said she spared the 11-year-old son but not the couple's younger child because Oliver was "so little and so innocent and she did not want him to suffer," according to Law & Crime.

The 11-year-old boy spoke to investigators after Oliver's death and said his mother asked him to hold his head underwater in the bathtub to see how long he could stay submerged.

"He said that after he went under the water he felt his mother's hands on his head, pushing him down and at some point it felt like her whole body was pushing him down," the outlet reported.

Though the child managed to free himself from his mother, he said he "probably would have drowned" had the water level been higher.

Natalia was arrested and is due to appear again in court Thursday.

In a media release posted on Facebook, Sheboygan Falls Police Department confirmed that Oliver was a student at Sheboygan Falls Elementary School, adding that the department has worked with the Sheboygan Falls School District since the incident.

"They are prepared to offer extra staff and counselors starting Monday morning. We encourage parents of the district to speak with their children and ensure their mental health," part of the media release read.

"On behalf of the City of Sheboygan Falls and its residents, we offer condolences and prayers to the family of Oliver Hitchcock. This tragedy is not anything any family should have to endure. We are taking steps to ensure the mental health of our first responders and officers and thank the community for their support over the past several days," the department added.