3-year-old dies after aunt pushes him off pier into lake, Illinois cops say
UPDATE: The 3-year-old boy, Josiah Brown, died on Sunday, Sept. 25, CBS News, Fox 32, and the Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing the Cook County Medical Examiner. The boy’s aunt, Victoria Moreno, is facing a charge of first-degree murder, upgraded following Brown’s death, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The original story is below.
A woman is facing an attempted murder charge after an incident in which her nephew was critically injured and nearly drowned, according to Illinois authorities.
The 34-year-old woman from Des Plaines was walking along Navy Pier in Chicago with her 3-year-old nephew on the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 19, Fox 32 reported, citing the Chicago Police Department.
The boy fell off the pier and hit the water about 6 feet below, police told the Chicago Tribune..
The Chicago Police Department said the woman “pushed” the child into the water, according to a Sept. 21 news release. In addition to the attempted murder charge, she also faces a charge of aggravated battery to a child.
People in the area heard the splash and called 911, ABC 7 reported.
The boy nearly drowned, sinking underwater before the Chicago Fire Department pulled him out, according to ABC 7.
The toddler went into cardiac arrest, and officials rushed him to a hospital, Fox 32 reported.
The boy was in “critical condition,” according to police. The woman, who police did not confirm was the boy’s aunt, “did not attempt to rescue” him, police said.
The woman initially told people in the area that she didn’t know the boy and didn’t know what was going on, The Chicago Tribune reported.
Later, she told officers that she had a hold of the boy’s shirt before he fell and let go, ABC 7 reported.
Surveillance footage showed the woman pushing the child off the pier, Fox 32 reported.
She was arrested an hour after the incident, ABC 7 reported.
Prosecutors said at the woman’s bond hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 21, that the boy is on a ventilator and not expected to survive, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The aunt’s attorney said she has a history of mental illness and no criminal history, the Chicago Tribune reported. This behavior is an “anomaly” for the aunt, the attorney said, according to the outlet.
The woman was denied bail, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing the hearing.
This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 5:18 PM with the headline "3-year-old dies after aunt pushes him off pier into lake, Illinois cops say."
