Woman Shoved 3-Year-Old Boy Into Lake, Left Child To Drown For 'Acting Up'

A woman has been accused of pushing a 3-year-old boy into Lake Michigan off Navy Pier, Chicago on Monday, Sept. 19, and leaving the child to drown in the body of water because she was allegedly fed up with him “acting up.”

The woman, whose identity has been withheld from the public, reportedly pushed her relative, a 3-year-old boy, toward the edge before throwing him in the water at Lake Michigan near Navy Pier. The boy, who was not expected to survive, was pulled from the lake and rescued at about 1 p.m. near the 700 block of East Grand Avenue, the Daily Beast reported.

The toddler reportedly went into cardiac arrest and was immediately rushed to Lurie Children’s Hospital in a “very critical condition.”

When questioned by investigating officers, the woman initially told investigators that she was just a witness to the incident. However, she later admitted that she let go of the boy's shirt while she was holding him and let him fall into the tide because he was “acting up.” After she pushed the boy into the lake, the relative allegedly didn’t make an attempt to call 911 or rescue him, Chicago Sun-Times reported.

A witness, identified as Ashton King, 31, said she was walking on the pier with a friend who heard and saw the splash but didn’t see what happened before. As soon as she saw the boy in the water, her friend ran to get a flotation device while King called 911.

“He was ... floating on his back and just looking up at the sky, his head was the only thing that was bobbing above the water,” King said.

“By the time we had thrown [a life preserver] in, he had already gone under,” she added.

CCTV surveillance footage obtained from near the lake showed the relative pushing the boy toward the edge before throwing him in the water.

The boy’s mother had reportedly left her son with his grandmother that day. However, when the grandmother went upstairs to change, the accused woman left with the child and brought the 3-year-old to Navy Pier to “go on the rides.”

Following the incident, the woman was taken into custody, but no charges have been announced as of press time.

“We are working very closely with the Chicago Police Department as they investigate the incident. Our hearts are with the child and his loved ones,” Navy Pier officials said.