Mother who tossed 4-year-old daughter into river near Tampa charged with murder

On August 2, police in Tampa tweeted that a 26-year-old mother, Shakayla Denson, stole a car and drove to the Hillsborough River. A spokesperson for the Tampa Police said that their officers responded to the scene around 4 p.m. yesterday after receiving multiple calls about a child being thrown off a bridge into the river below.

According to police, Denson proceeded to walk and wade approximately halfway into the river and then tossed her 4-year-old daughter in.  The mother then exited the river leaving the little girl to fend for herself.  Denson was found walking in the area nearby and was immediately detained by police.

A dive team also responded and found the body of the 4-year-old girl about 75 feet from shore around 4:30 p.m., officials said. The girl, identified by police as Je’Hyrah Daniels, was pronounced dead at the hospital. ~ per NBC News in Miami

The mother has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and grand theft auto – all felonies. The Tampa Police’s tweet quoted witnesses on the scene as saying that the mom simply waded into the river with her daughter and then tossed the child into the water.

USA Today quoted Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan as saying that investigators are still trying to determine the mother’s motive for killing her daughter, adding, “It’s a completely tragic event. We’re still piecing the whole thing together.”

For more on this tragic story, see the video accompanying this article.

https://youtu.be/cVtJ9hxrjMc

~ Written by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter