"I miss him:" Pennsylvania mother accused of trying to kill self, children; were there warning signs?

WILKES-BARRE, Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania mother is facing attempted homicide charges, and authorities say she tried to kill herself, and her own children. The children's bus driver is being hailed a hero, because he was able to save their lives.

According to WNEP, police say on Wednesday night, December 9th, Melissa Scholl hooked up a hose to her vehicle's exhaust pipe, and then put it through an open window -- into the vehicle.

Scholl and her seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter were inside.

Melissa Scholl accused of trying to kill self, two children in Pennsylvania

But before this situation could become dire, the children's bus driver, Robert Shinal, pulled into the bus depot parking lot.

"I just knew something was out of place. It wasn't right," Shinal said.

Shinal quickly jumped into action.

Melissa Scholl

"I then blocked the car and pulled the hose out of the window and she gave me her keys no problem, and then I called 911," Shinal said.

Some who work at the bus company are calling this a miracle -- because Shinal arrived at the parking lot two hours earlier than he normally would, because his run was cancelled.

"He knew that something was off. He knew that the car didn't belong. He didn't have to approach that vehicle and he did," said Janelle Davidson, manager with the bus company.

"I'm just glad of the outcome, that the children are safe," Shinal said.

The children are safe -- but the question remains: "What could Melissa Scholl have been thinking?

Neighbors tell WNEP over the past year, Scholl gave birth two twins.

When she was six months pregnant, their father was killed in a crash.

Neighbors say about two weeks ago, she handed the babies over to a friend -- asking the friend to care for them.

"Seemed like she didn't even care. She said the reason why she gave her kids up for adoption was because the father got in a car accident, got killed," a neighbor told WNEP.

Additionally -- text messages obtained by WNEP offer a glimpse into what may be considered "warning signs." Those text messages were sent by Scholl to the twins' grandmother.

One text said: "I miss him so, so much."

The grandmother wrote back: "I got the kids some gifts. If you need anything like a tree or whatever let me know. We will try and help definitely."

Scholl responds, saying: "Thank you for everything. God I miss him. He was so kind to me."

That message came about two hours before Scholl was found with the hose pumping carbon monoxide into her vehicle by the school bus driver.

While the father of Scholl's twin babies died in a crash, her other two children involved in Wednesday night's incident have a different father. He's in jail.

Scholl has a preliminary hearing set for December 23rd.