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Toddler pushed by aunt, 34, Lake Michigan dies after family member reportedly watched him drown for 30 minutes without calling for help
- Three-year-old Josiah Brown died Sunday after being in critical condition since Monday when his aunt allegedly pushed him into Lake Michigan.
- Brown suffered a series of serious injuries, including brain swelling, bloody lungs and seizures
- His aunt, Victoria Moreno, 34, who suffers from a number of mental illnesses, took the child from his grandmother’s house earlier that day
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A three-year-old boy tragically died on Sunday, six days after his aunt allegedly pushed him off Chicago’s Navy Pier into the depths of Lake Michigan.
The Illinois toddler, identified as Josiah Brown, died just after 10 a.m. Sunday, according to local reports.
Last Monday, Josiah was with his aunt, Victoria Moreno, 34, at Navy Pier – a popular tourist attraction in the Windy City – when they pushed the child five feet into the lake with no one looking.
Moreno is said to have grabbed the boy from his grandmother’s house in Des Plaines after his mother dropped him there earlier in the day.
Moreno, who has a history of insomnia, depression and anxiety, is also said to have pseudo-abducted her nieces before.
Surveillance footage from Monday afternoon shows Moreno pushing the child into the lake with no one watching as he fought for his life in the water for 30 minutes.
Victoria Moreno, 34, allegedly pushed her three-year-old nephew into Lake Michigan last week. The charges against her will almost certainly be upgraded now that the child has passed away
Josiah ‘JoJo’ Brown, three, suffered brain swelling, bleeding from the lungs and seizures for nearly a week before passing away on Sunday
Brown was pulled from the depths of the lake in Chicago 30 minutes after being pushed by his aunt. He reportedly vomited twice in the water while fighting to keep his head above water
Moreno reportedly stood on the pier and watched her cousin drown as onlookers called for help. Initially, she told authorities that she did not know the child
Police said Moreno stood back and watched as the 3-year-old vomited twice into the water before sinking. He was later found by divers.
A witness to the incident told the Chicago Sun-Times that she eventually saw Josiah “floating on his back and just looking at the sky, his head was the only thing bobbing above the water.”
Before he died, Josiah ‘JoJo’ Brown suffered horrific injuries, including swollen brains, seizures and bleeding from his lungs. His heart was also depressed, necessitating a heart infusion. The family has a GoFundMe for financial assistance with medical bills and now, presumably, funeral expenses.
JoJo’s godmother is organizing a GoFundMe for the family who will now have to pay for medical and funeral expenses
When initially questioned by authorities, Moreno denied knowing the child, but later claimed he acted “intentionally” and fell into the lake when she let go of his shirt. She added that she had taken her nephew to the pier so he could ride along.
Moreno has been charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravation of a child under 13. Those charges will almost certainly be upgraded now that the child has passed away.
Moreno is currently being held without bail in a Cook County jail and has not been allowed to contact any witnesses to the incident or Josiah’s family. She will appear in court next Friday.
A torrent of condolences has reached the profiles of Josiah’s parents, Dantrell and Maria Brown, on social media.
‘Condolences. he is an angel forever. rest in peace little one..he will always be with you and your family,” wrote Esmeme Perez.
“This beautiful baby, so innocent and precious, may he now be cared for by God and angels, I pray for you,” Memphis Breeze said.
In a post shortly before Josiah’s death, Dantrell, who suffers from end-stage heart failure, wrote of how painful it was to read comments from people who said he and his wife should be “locked up” because of what happened to their child. .
“The only thing I feared in life has happened. My bubba is fighting for his life and is so innocent,” he wrote in a post that has been shared more than 800 times.