Mother charged with murder for throwing 4-year-old daughter in river: Police

The mother was located walking not far from the scene, police said.

August 2, 2018, 6:09 PM

A Tampa woman has been arrested for murder after she allegedly threw her 4-year-old daughter into a river, police said.

At around 4 p.m. Thursday, police received a report of a woman who had thrown a child into the Hillsborough River, police told ABC News.

A dive team went into the water at 4:30 p.m. and located an "unconscious child submerged about 75 feet off shore," police said.

The child, later identified as Je'Hyrah Daniels, was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

PHOTO: Police discovered an unconscious child submerged in Hillsborough River on Aug. 2, 2018, in Tampa, Fla.
Police discovered an unconscious child submerged in Hillsborough River on Aug. 2, 2018, in Tampa, Fla.
WFTS

The child's mother, identified by police as Shakayla Denson, was located by police walking not far from the scene, officials stated.

Police allege Denson, 26, had just stolen a Nissan Altima from an auto repair shop.

Denson parked the car near the river where witnesses told police she waded into the river with her child and when she got roughly halfway across the river, she tossed the child and left, police said.

Denson is facing charges of first-degree felony murder, aggravated child abuse and grand theft auto. She is currently at the jail awaiting processing.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.