New Orleans mother accused of stabbing her 2 children was in midst of custody fight, court records show

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Balloons and stuffed animals marked the home in the 3100 block of Law Street where police say 31-year-old Janee Pedesclaux stabbed her two small children Sunday morning (Aug. 7).

Her 3-year-old daughter, identified as Paris Roberts, died from her injuries. Her 2-year-old son, identified by family members as Jay’Ceon Roberts, remains in critical condition.

“Yeah, I came to pray. I’ve been praying and I’ve never stopped praying since I heard what happened,” said Pastor Johnny Arvie.

Everything unfolded Sunday around 11 a.m. Arvie had just finished his sermon at the Law Street Missionary Community Baptist Church, about 50 yards from Pedesclaux’s house.

“I was hurt. It was sad, and I was confused. As a minister, we get confused too. I was confused about what happened and why it happened,” Arvie said.

In surveillance video obtained by Fox 8, a man described by a neighbor as the children’s father is seen arriving in a white pickup truck and running toward the house. Minutes later, the same man is seen rushing back to the truck with the toddler in his arms. The older sibling followed behind, stumbling and falling to the sidewalk, before getting up to run again. Police said that 3-year-old girl died at the hospital.

“It hurts, and it’s sad,” Arvie said.

Pedesclaux’s uncle released the following statement on behalf of the family:

On Sunday morning the Pedesclaux family endured an unspeakable tragedy. Mental health is a crisis that is affecting every family and ours is no different. The lack of mental health services and the toxic mix of social media has added to the problems we face as a community. This is a large family of faith and we ask with all humility that the city pray for our family and for our Paris and Jay’Ceon.

According to a law enforcement source, the father was alerted by a chilling video Pedesclaux posted to social media Sunday morning. In the video, which has since been removed by Instagram, the woman faced a camera in a white tank top stained with blood and sobbed, “I’m done. My children are dead. I’m done with life.”

“If she would have reached out to me. I would have offered my services to counsel her,” Arvie said. “But that didn’t happen.”

Court records show Pedesclaux and the children’s father Jermaine Roberts were locked in a custody battle. Roberts sued Pedesclaux in April in Orleans Parish Civil Court, seeking joint custody to allow him to see the children every weekend.

In the court documents, Roberts alleged that Pedesclaux was not letting him see the children and that she was not stable nor providing a healthy environment for the children.

A custody hearing was set for Aug. 18.

“I feel for the children, the father and even the mother,” Arvie said.

Pedesclaux was arrested Sunday, booked with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.

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