A Tampa mother has been arrested and charged with murder after her four year old daughter died following an incident at the Hillsborough River, according to Tampa police.
Police said the incident happened on Thursday, August 2, around 4:06 p.m. near the Columbus Drive bridge. Witnesses called 911 to report that a woman had put a child in the water, and emergency crews rushed to the scene. By 4:30 p.m., the girl was pulled from the river and taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to police, witnesses told officers the woman waded into the river with the child and, roughly halfway across, “tossed the child and began wading out.”
Police said the girl’s mother, a 26 year old woman named Shakayla, was arrested near the scene. She was booked on charges of first degree felony murder and aggravated child abuse. Police also said she faces a grand theft auto charge, accused of taking a car from an auto repair shop and driving it to the river. These are allegations, and she has not been convicted of any crime.
Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan called it a completely tragic event and said investigators still had more questions than answers at this point.
