The woman attended a vigil for the slain family outside their Danbury home Thursday night and refused to believe Sonia Loja, 36, would strangle her three children. “I can’t believe Sonia did this. I can’t believe what happened,” Nube Sucuzhanay, 33, told The Post. “Sonia was a good person. She loved and cared for her children and was good to the children she cared for.” Sucuzhanay said Loja came to the U.S. from Ecuador about 15 years ago. Sucuzhanay trusted Loja with her own two children and enrolled them in her daycare for seven years. “I was very comfortable leaving my children with Sonia,” he said. “[She was] so good with children and so very good.’ Loja ran an illegal daycare out of her home and told the parents of about 10 children she couldn’t watch them Wednesday — the same day police believe she killed her own children, 12-year-old Junior Panjon, 10-year-old Joselyn Panjon and 5-year-old Jonael Panjon. Loja then committed suicide. A woman can be seen crying in front of Sonia Loja’s residence in Danbury, Connecticut on July 28, 2022. Stephen Yang community members gather at Sonia Loja’s home on July 28, 2022 in Danbury. Stephen Yang Loja reportedly strangled each child one by one before hanging herself inside a shed in the backyard of her home, police said. Her husband and father of her children, Pedro Panjon, found the bodies when he returned home and fainted at the gruesome discovery. Sucuzhanay was one of about 50 mourners who gathered outside the home Thursday night for a vigil organized by the area’s large Ecuadorian community. Mourners sang hymns, recited prayers and lit candles for more than an hour. They created a makeshift memorial for the slain children by placing prayer candles, flowers, white balloons and a teddy bear on the front steps of the house. Toys and other items are displayed on the porch of Sonia Loja on July 28, 2022 in Danbury. Stephen YangPolice believe Sonia Loja killed her children 12-year-old Junior Panjon, 10-year-old Joselyn Panjon and 5-year-old Jonael Panjon. Pedro Panjon/Facebook A young participant who attended Saint Peter’s School with Joselyn from kindergarten through third grade said her classmate was extremely intelligent and kind. “Joselyn was a very smart, creative and helpful person,” said Katelyn Jimenez, 11. “Joselyn was always there when you needed her. It would comfort anyone going through hard times.” Katelyn said Joselyn excelled in math and helped her when she struggled with math equations. “It seemed to me that he lived a good life,” Katelyn said. “She was very positive. She was great at art and music, but she was also very smart at math.” “I feel sad,” he added. “She was a good classmate and friend.” Tomas Vega, 31, was among the many mourners who felt compelled to attend the vigil to support the family, even though they did not know Loja or her children personally. Vega, a father of two, could not understand Loja’s violent last act. “What would make you kill yourself and take the lives of your three children?” Vega asked in disbelief. “Imagine seeing your first child dead, then the next, then the third. Something very bad must have happened.” If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
