A New Jersey woman accused of drowning her two toddlers allegedly told police she committed the horrific killings for "religious purposes."

Naomi Elkins, 27, also allegedly admitted that she "counted to 50 multiple times" while holding each of the little girls, ages 1 and 3, underwater in bathtubs in their basement apartment in Lakewood, according to reports.

The younger child, who was killed first, was also stabbed in the abdomen and back with a serrated knife, according to authorities.

Elkins was arrested and charged with murder and weapon possession on June 25 after police were called to the house around 4:50 p.m. and found emergency medial personnel from Hatzolah Emergency Medical Services, a private Jewish nonprofit, trying in vain to save the kids.

Elkins told investigators that her husband was away on business and that she had spent the night before praying after having "concerning thoughts" for several days.

Elkins allegedly said that she took her daughters to her job at a day care center and that "once she was home, she believed that she needed to kill the children for religious purposes," according to an affidavit filed in court and cited in a Thursday report by NJ.com.

In a statement released by lawyer Mitchell Ansell, her family said the "sad truth" was that Elkins "has a well-documented history of severe mental illness which has absolutely played a major role in these devastating events."

Elkins was being held without bail pending a court hearing on Monday.