Prosecutors said the alleged plan involved a car, exhaust tubing and three children.
KEIZER, Ore. — A Marion County judge ordered a Keizer mother held without bail after police said she used vehicle exhaust in an attempt to kill her three children and herself.
Chardonnay Marie Benavidez, 32, was booked after being treated at Salem Hospital and cleared from a physician’s hold. She is charged with three counts of first-degree attempted murder tied to a June 6 emergency call from a home on Holly Court Northeast.
Keizer Police said Benavidez called 911 at about 8:20 p.m. and reported that her children had been falling in and out of consciousness. Officers found her and the children in the living room. The children were twin 2-year-old boys and a 4-year-old boy, police said.
Inside the attached garage, investigators said they found a car with a makeshift apparatus running from the exhaust pipe into the vehicle’s interior. Firefighters responded and cleared the garage before officers entered. Police said the fumes were strong enough that officers had burning eyes and trouble breathing while near the area.
At Benavidez’s arraignment, prosecutors said she had researched carbon monoxide poisoning for about a week. A prosecutor said Benavidez considered several methods before choosing one she believed would make the children fall asleep. Court records said she told the children they were having a sleepover in the car.
The children and Benavidez were taken to Salem Hospital for carbon monoxide treatment. The children were medically cleared the next day and released to their father with assistance from the Oregon Department of Human Services. Police said no officers required medical treatment after the response.
Investigators said a gun was found in the vehicle. Court records said Benavidez told police she planned to use it on herself if the carbon monoxide killed the children but not her. Police said they had no known earlier reports showing she was a danger to the children.
The criminal case remains in Marion County court. Benavidez is in custody, and her next court appearance is set for June 17.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, June 11, 2026.