Mom arrested after 2 of her 3 children drown in locked SUV

Jenea Payne was charged with two counts of manslaughter-culpable negligence and one count of child neglect. (Leland Police Department)

LELAND, Miss. -- Police say a 25-year-old Mississippi woman has been arrested after two of her three children drowned when she left them in a locked car and it rolled into a creek.

The Clarion-Ledger reports Leland police charged Jenea Monique Payne on Monday with two counts of negligent homicide and one of child neglect.

Payne told investigators she left the children for five or 10 minutes while she went into a convenience store.

Two-year-old Raelynn Johnson was rescued Saturday as Payne's SUV floated downstream. Four-year-old Steve Smith and 1-year-old Rasheed Johnson Jr. drowned in the vehicle.

Leland Police Chief Marcus Davis says Payne left the keys in the vehicle and the 4-year-old is believed to have put the key in the ignition.

Leland is about 85 miles (135 kilometres) northwest of Jackson.