A mother, Shakayla Denson, has been charged with the unthinkable — killing her own child.
According to several witnesses, Denson walked with her 4-year-old daughter, Je’Hyrah Daniels, into the Hillsborough River in Florida and drowned her.
Some of the people, who watched the whole tragedy unfold, now ask themselves if there is anything they could have done differently.
Denson was apparently carrying a bible, wearing a bra, black pants, and no shoes as she left the vehicle she was driving and waded in the river with the screaming child.
The 26-year-old woman from Tampa was arrested shortly after the incident and was charged with first-degree felony murder, aggravated child abuse, and grand theft auto.
THIS SWEET LITTLE GIRL: on the left is Je'Hyrah Daniels. She is the 4-year-old girl who Tampa police say was thrown into the Hillsborough River by her mother today. On the right is Shakayla Denson.. her mother who was charged with 1st degree murder pic.twitter.com/IB2uSOKEio
— Jamison Uhler (@JamisonWFTS) August 3, 2018
Before the horrific incident, Denson was filmed stealing a car from an auto repair shop near the river.
Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said this in a news conference: “It is tragic, chaotic and just downright unbelievable all at the same time… At approximately 4:30 p.m., a dive team member discovered an unconscious child submerged about 75 feet offshore.”
These are photos of 4-yr-old Je’Hyrah Daniels from a family member. @TampaPD say her mother, Shakayla Denson (pictured with Je’Hyrah in the first photo), dragged her screaming little girl into the Hillsborough River yesterday, drowning her. Denson is charged with murder. pic.twitter.com/JscT3Dj1vy
— Aaron Mesmer FOX 13 (@AaronMesmer) August 3, 2018
He went on to explain: “Unfortunately, at this point, there are a lot more questions than answers. It’s a completely tragic event. It’s a crazy world we live in.”
The mother’s erratic behavior and many run-ins with the law seem to suggest that she was mentally ill. According to reports, the child was on the autism spectrum.
