Woman accused of pushing 3-year-old nephew into lake near Navy Pier, not trying to rescue him

CHICAGO (WLS) — A 34-year-old Des Plaines lady faces felony tried homicide and aggravated battery costs in reference to an incident close to Navy Pier that left a 3-year-old boy in “very essential” situation.

Victoria Moreno was arrested Monday simply earlier than 2 p.m. within the 700-block of East Grand Avenue after being accused of pushing her nephew into Lake Michigan, Chicago police mentioned Wednesday morning.

Moreno didn’t try and rescue the boy, CPD mentioned. She appeared in bond courtroom Wednesday afternoon, the place a decide denied her bond.

His household was across the kid’s bedside on Tuesday at Lurie Kids’s Hospital. They’re asking for privateness, and his grandfather, Dan Brown, mentioned they want “lots of prayer proper now.”

“All people’s prayer helps,” Brown mentioned. “God makes issues occur. That is what we’re banking on proper now.”

Police mentioned the kid went tumbling a number of ft into the lake, almost drowning about 1 p.m. Monday afternoon close to the north finish of Navy Pier. He was strolling together with his aunt on the trail subsequent to the lake, earlier than ending up within the water.

Divers with the Chicago Fireplace Division pulled the kid to dry land earlier than speeding him to the hospital in full cardiac arrest.

Brown described his grandson as “only a bundle of pleasure” who’s “filled with power, desires to do every little thing” and “loves his dad.”

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“I simply wish to give due to those that had been there to reply,” Brown mentioned. “The state of affairs is unhealthy, nevertheless it may have been worse, so now we have a praying likelihood that he makes it by means of, and that is all we hope for at this level.”

Investigators mentioned the boy spent hours present process remedy as police remained at Navy Pier, working to find out what precisely occurred.

“As with incidents involving kids, these are tough circumstances, and, once more, we ask that you just preserve the household in your ideas,” mentioned CPD Deputy Chief Gabriella Shemash.

The three-year-old was final listed in “very essential” situation on the hospital.

The relative initially informed responding officers she was solely a witness to the drowning, then claimed she was holding the boy’s shirt and let him fall into the water, in line with a supply with data of the investigation.

Surveillance video reveals the lady pushed him towards the sting of the pier and tossed him into the water, the supply mentioned. The boy wasn’t anticipated to outlive, the supply mentioned.

A witness mentioned they seen the boy operating round seemingly unsupervised simply earlier than the incident.

Different witnesses on the scene described it as an odd state of affairs, with the aunt simply standing by whereas the kid was within the water.

The lady who known as 911 defined the horror of the complete state of affairs.

“It is one factor to see him having been in there, and it simply brings it to an entire new stage to comprehend it was intentional,” Ashley King mentioned. “I’ve a son who’s about that boy’s age. I relive the picture every single day. He simply seemed so panicked and scared, and to assume that any person he trusted put him in that place is horrendous.”

The lady mentioned she needed to leap in and assist, however needed to contemplate the components of doing so whereas serving to first responders get to the right location.

She and her pal threw a lifesaver into the water as one other man was already down there making an attempt to assist.

The Illinois Division of Kids and Household Companies mentioned there isn’t a prior contact relating to this baby, and the division is investigating.

Her costs may escalate if the kid’s situation worsens.

Solar-Occasions Media contributed to this report.