Woman Accused of Throwing 3-Year-Old Off Chicago’s Navy Pier Denied Bail — Boy Not Expected to Survive

A woman accused of tossing her three-year-old nephew off of Chicago’s Navy Pier into Lake Michigan was denied bail by a Cook County Judge.

Victoria Moreno, 34, who had been in custody moments after the alleged crime occurred on Monday, was formally charged with first-degree attempted murder and aggravated battery of a child on Wednesday, per Chicago police.

According to prosecutors via the Chicago Sun-Times, Moreno threw Joshua Brown, 3, into the lake and did not attempt to help the boy or summon help.

Nearby strangers attempted to throw a life ring at the boy, but he eventually submerged after trying to stay afloat.

Brown’s body was retrieved half an hour later, and he suffered from a swollen brain and bleeding lungs and had experienced multiple seizures and cardiac arrest. He is not expected to survive.

Prosecutor Lorraine Scaduto noted that Moreno, who is not allowed to drive due to mental health issues, “stole the keys” to a family vehicle and took Brown without the family knowing.

The defendant took the three-year-old to a restaurant at Navy Pier, where he was almost hit by a vehicle coming out of the parking garage.

After leaving the restaurant, the two walked to the end of the pier, where Brown crawled underneath the chain. Moreno pulled the boy back as other people approached.

Scaduto then alleged that after Moreno waited for the area to be cleared before she allowed the three-year-old to crawl underneath the chain again.

The aunt then climbed over the platform where she threw her nephew into the water off a six feet drop.

She later walked away and did nothing before being arrested, Scaduto noted, citing surveillance footage.

Moreno was involved in another alarming incident the week prior after she had taken younger family members without permission to Navy Pier, according to Scaduto via CWB Chicago. One 11-year-old who was taken along for the ride pinned his location to other family members out of concern for what was occurring.

After hearing the prosecutor’s case, Judge Susana Ortiz acknowledged that Moreno had mental issues but denied her bail. The judge called her alleged actions “intentionally brutal and heinous” and “premeditated.”

“I find Ms. Moreno at this time to be a danger to the community — and to her specific family members and children in general,” the judge said.

Moreno is scheduled to appear in court again on September 30.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.