Police have arrested the mother of twin babies found dead outside a Bronx apartment building nearly five years ago.

Stephanie Castillo, 36, was charged Friday with six counts of murder and six counts of manslaughter. She stared at the ground and ignored questions from reporters as officers led her out of the 44th Precinct and placed her in a patrol car.

Twins killed shortly after they were born, officials say

Back on Nov. 9, 2020, the superintendent of an apartment building on College Avenue near East 171st Street in the Claremont section called 911 after he found two babies unconscious behind the building.

Officials say the twins were wrapped in plastic and both had blunt force trauma.

The medical examiner found that they had been born alive just hours earlier and ruled the case a homicide.

Case detectives raised money to give the babies a proper burial and named them Zeke and Zane.

DNA evidence led to arrest, detectives say

Police say Castillo lived in an apartment overlooking the area where the babies were found dead.

"The perpetrator in this case resided on the fourth floor of this apartment building, and we believe that the babies were disposed of out the window," NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Baldassano said.

Detectives say they were recently able to confirm Castillo was the twins' mother through DNA evidence.

"This was a very, very intensive forensic case," Baldassano said.

Police say they continued to pour over the case for years.

"This is exactly why we come to work every day. The NYPD, we don't give up. Our detectives are the best in the world," Baldassano said.

"A weight definitely got lifted off everybody's shoulders today"

Residents in the apartment building say the case has haunted them over the years.

"It is hard, even five years after," resident Violet Nunez said.

"I'm like, this is cold. This cold case is going to haunt the building forever," resident Jordan Garcia said.

Garcia says he ran into Castillo around the building when she took her dog out for walks, but suddenly he stopped seeing her.

"She was bubbly. I mean, she was not very talkative, very engaging. It's a surprise, it's a surprise," he said.

Residents say Castillo's arrest brings a sense of closure.

"Something so heinous happened right literally where basically we all sleep at, so I'm just glad it's over with. It's a weight definitely got lifted off everybody's shoulders today," Garcia said.