Father drowns 3 children in Baltimore hotel bathtub

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Maryland man who was estranged from his wife drowned their three young children in a Baltimore hotel bathtub over the weekend, police said on Monday.

Mark Castillo, 41, called the front desk at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel at about 1 p.m. on Sunday to say he had killed his children and was about to hurt himself, said officer Troy Harris, a spokesman for Baltimore City Police.

"Officers found the three victims dead at the scene," Harris said. "The cause of death was drowning." He said the time of death had not yet been determined.

The children were identified as Anthony, 6, Austin, 4, and Athena, 2.

Castillo was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for self-inflicted lacerations.

He has been charged with multiple counts of first- and second-degree murder, and multiple counts of child abuse.

Harris said he believed Castillo was divorced from his wife.

(Reporting by Jon Hurdle, Editing by Sandra Maler)