An Oregon mother is accused of luring her three young kids to her car with the promise of a ‘popcorn sleepover’ in an attempt to gas them to death.
Chardonnay Benavidez, 32, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after she allegedly tried to poison her kids with carbon monoxide inside her car on Saturday, according to the Keizer Police Department.
Prosecutors alleged Benavidez lured her twin two-year-old boys and her four-year-old daughter into the vehicle for a sleepover with the promise of popcorn, KPTV reported.
Benavidez called 911 at 8.20pm to report her children falling into and out of consciousness after she attempted to kill them, and herself, police said.
When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the mother with three kids in the living room.
Cops, with the help of the Keizer Fire Department, located a vehicle in an attached garage with a makeshift apparatus running from the vehicle’s exhaust pipe into the interior.
The fire department was dispatched because it was too dangerous for officers without specialized equipment to enter the enclosed area due to the amount of carbon monoxide remaining, police said.
All four were transported to the Salem Hospital Emergency Department, where they were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Chardonnay Benavidez, 32, has been charged with attempted murder after she allegedly tried poison herself and her three kids with carbon monoxide
Prosecutors alleged Benavidez lured her twin two-year-old boys and her four-year-old daughter into the vehicle for a sleepover with the promise of popcorn on Saturday
The children were medically cleared and released to their father, Antonio, on Sunday.
Antonio, who was divorced from Benavidez in 2024, said he was stunned when he learned his ex tried to hurt their children.
‘She was such a great f*****g mother,’ he told KOIN 6. ‘I went to the hospital. They wouldn’t let me in. They wouldn’t give me no information. I ended up getting detained because I was like, “Dude, those are my kids back there I’m f*****g going in.”‘
He said he knew his ex had tried to harm herself before, but was shocked that she had involved their children.
‘She said it a few times, but I mean, you know, we all do,’ Antonio said.
Benavidez was placed on a physician’s hold and was seen by psychiatric staff before being released on Sunday.
She was transported to the Marion County Correctional Facility, where she was charged with three counts of attempted murder in the first degree.
Benavidez made her first court appearance on Monday, and the judge denied bail after the prosecution argued that she had planned to murder her children.
Her ex-husband and the children’s father, Antonio, described Benavidez as a ‘great’ mother and said he was shocked to learn she tried to hurt their kids
‘The defendant told law enforcement that she had been planning this, researching it for about a week,’ the prosecutor said.
‘Prior to doing this, there were multiple options she was considering and landed on this option as one where they would all just fall asleep together.’
The prosecutor added, ‘This case came to law enforcement when she called 911 to report that she had put herself and her three children in a vehicle with the exhaust on.’
Benavidez is due back in court on June 17 for arraignment.
The Daily Mail contacted the district attorney’s office and Benavidez’s attorney for comment.
