A 29-year-old Ajax, Ont. woman has been charged with attempted murder after police said she tried to drown her three-year-old son at a local beach before she was stopped by two people nearby.
Durham Regional Police said a woman saw the mother “acting strangely” while holding the preschooler on the railing of a bridge near Rotary Park around 4 p.m. Thursday.
Police said the woman then engaged the mother in conversation and walked with her and the child to a nearby parking lot, but then noticed they had left the area and were heading toward the beach.
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“She was noticing that she had the child on the bridge and it caused her some concern so she started to engage her to kind of lead her away from there,” police spokeswoman Ashling Murphy told Global News.
“They were walking toward the parking lot and I guess the citizen was a little bit ahead of the woman and the child and she turned and they had gone.”
Police said the mother was then seen holding the child under the water, which is when a man nearby rushed to the area to help. Temperatures in the city dipped below -13C Thursday.
Murphy added both people brought the child to shore and wrapped him in warm clothing while emergency crews responded to the scene and took the child to hospital.
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“When the citizen turned back she noticed that the child was in the water,” Murphy said, adding the incident was “very sensitive.”
“They made an observation and came forward to assist and it definitely contributed to helping the child.”
Police said the boy was treated in hospital but it’s not known whether he sustained any injuries. He was then released into the care of his father.
The unidentified woman was taken into custody under the Mental Health Act and charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and failing to provide the necessities of life.
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She was held for a bail hearing and police are not releasing her name in order to protect the identity of the child.
The two people who stopped to help the child are being put forward for recognition for their help during the incident.
“They’re being commended for their actions that’s for sure,” Murphy said.
Anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident or who may have new information is asked to contact Det. Ahee of the Major Crime Sexual Assualt and Child Abuse Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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