A Chicago woman has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly drowning a 1-year-old boy in Lake Michigan.
The tragic incident unfolded around 9:45 p.m. on Friday, July 18, near South Shore Beach on Chicago’s South Side. Authorities say 31-year-old Surah Amon walked into the lake with the infant. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing the child in distress before losing sight of him in the water.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, and the Chicago Fire Department’s Marine Unit pulled the child from the lake. He was transported to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Amon was still in the water when police arrived. She was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, where she remains under medical evaluation.
According to ABC News, on Monday, July 21, prosecutors charged Amon with first-degree murder and felony murder, claiming she acted with a “strong probability of death or great bodily harm.” Although officials have not publicly confirmed her relationship to the child, sources suggest that he may have been her son.
Amon did not appear at her initial court hearing due to her hospitalization. A status hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 22.
This heartbreaking case has left the community shaken, as questions remain about what led up to the fatal encounter at the lake. Authorities continue to investigate.
