Dharm Makwana

The mother of two newborn boys found dead in the span of a year stands accused of slaying them.

Sarah Jee Wah Leung, 24, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

She turned herself into police Tuesday after learning of the charges.

Leung's first baby, born April 2, 2009, was found one day after his birth, when he was stuffed inside a plastic bag outside her home in the 2500 block of Charles Street. The body of the second baby, born March 7, may never be recovered from a landfill gravesite, explained Deputy Chief Warren Lemcke.

He added the woman had hid the second pregnancy from her family and is believed to have acted alone.

"The problem was that nobody knew if she was pregnant," Lemcke said. "Had we known we might have been able to step in and deal with the [Ministry of Children and Family Development] and say, this is something you should be aware of, you should be watching."

The children's father is not accused of involvement in either death.

Lemcke released few details about Leung's mental state but said she was cooperating with investigators.

The incident is truly traumatic for the victims' family and investigators involved, Lemcke said.

"Few incidents are more tragic than the death of a child but when the death is allegedly at the hand of a mother it's unimaginable and when it's two children it's incomprehensible."