RALEIGH, N.C. — The Wake County Sheriff's Office was called to a home outside Raleigh Tuesday night to investigate the death of a woman who was found by her children.

According to authorities at the scene, the children, ages 9 and 11, discovered 36-year-old Tina Ann Denton dead after returning from a sleepover at a friend's house.

The children reportedly came to their Donnybrook Drive home and found the door locked, and then went to a neighbor's house to get a key. After they returned to the house and went inside, they found their mother.

One of the children called 911.

"They're in shock, but they're doing OK," Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said.

Police later went inside the house with a search warrant.

"We treat it like a crime scene, so we go through, get a search warrant and go slowly so we don't miss anything or disturb anything," Harrison said.

Investigators did not say what caused Denton's death. The body has been taken to the state medical examiner's office in Chapel Hill for an autopsy.