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Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Mother, 31, 'drowned one year-old son in Lake Michigan because she was depressed about boyfriend dumping her'
An Illinois mother accused of drowning her baby boy in Lake Michigan during a mental health spiral has been held without bail as she awaits trial for first–degree murder. Surah Amon, 31, allegedly walked into the water with her 14–month–old son Sir Watson last Friday night at South Shore Beach in Chicago and 'let go' of him before screaming to bystanders that she'd killed her baby and wanted to die. The child was pulled from the lake by the Chicago Fire Department's Marine Unit and rushed to Comer Children's Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Authorities say the tragedy unfolded just hours after Amon was dumped by her boyfriend and kicked out of the home she shared with the boy's father and grandmother, following a violent confrontation that ended with police serving her with an order of protection. Prosecutors revealed during Tuesday's bond hearing that Amon had a history of clashes with the paternal grandmother, who had repeatedly called police to have her removed from the house. On July 11, the grandmother was granted an order of protection – but allowed Amon to stay anyway when it wasn't immediately enforced. That changed on Thursday, July 17, when Amon allegedly struck the woman, prompting police to serve the order. But with nowhere to go, Amon was permitted to stay one more night. On Friday afternoon, another relative called 911 to report Amon was 'having mental health issues.' Later that evening, the grandmother returned home from work and found her still there. She phoned police twice – but by the time officers arrived, Amon had vanished with the child. Around 9:45 p.m., beachgoers at Chicago's Yacht Harbor spotted Amon in deeper water screaming that she'd drowned her son. 'I killed my son. I want to die,' she allegedly yelled, according to police. Sir Watson was found unresponsive in the water by a CFD helicopter team. First responders performed chest compressions, but to no avail. Amon was pulled from the lake with cuts on her wrists and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center for minor injuries and a mental health evaluation. She later confessed to police that she had killed her son after being 'kicked out' by the boy's father, saying she had wanted to end her own life. At Tuesday's hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Todd Kleist told the court: 'She's the person who's supposed to protect this child… and she is the one who killed him. If she's capable of doing this to a helpless and innocent child, then she is also a danger to anyone else she comes into contact with.' Judge Suzanna Ortiz agreed to deny bail, ruling Amon posed a threat to herself and the community due to what she called a 'serious mental health crisis.' Family members wept in the courtroom as prosecutors outlined the child's final moments. Amon's sister, Claudia, told WLS that the family had desperately tried to intervene earlier in the day. 'Three hours before this happened, me and my sister made a call to the police to have a mental health team come out,' she said. 'When the police showed up, they told us there was nothing they could do because my sister was not being violent.' Amon remains in custody and is due back in court on August 13. She has no prior criminal history.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Witnesses Say She Took Baby into Lake Michigan — Moments Later, Only the Woman Returned
NEED TO KNOW A Chicago woman has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a 1-year-old boy on Friday night Police alleged the 31-year-old woman drowned the 1-year-old boy in Lake Michigan The 1-year-old boy was pronounced dead after being rushed to a local hospitalA Chicago woman has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after police allege she drowned a 1-year-old boy in Lake Michigan on Friday night, PEOPLE has learned. Surah Amon was arrested shortly after the alleged murder took place late Friday after witnesses called police to report seeing the 31-year-old woman in the water, according to NBC 5, CBS 2, and ABC 7. When Chicago police arrived at the scene, they discovered Amon still in the water and soon realized she had been drowning the young boy, according to reports. The Chicago Fire Department's Marine Unit took the boy out of the water, but he was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly afterwards, according to ABC 7. Police have not confirmed what Amon's relationship was to the 1-year-old boy, according to CBS 2. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to a news release obtained by PEOPLE, Chicago police said Amon was expected to appear in court on Monday morning, where she faces one felony charge for first-degree murder and another felony charge for murder with a strong probability of death. Read the original article on People
CBS News
21-07-2025
- CBS News
Chicago woman charged in drowning death of baby in Lake Michigan
A woman was charged in the drowning death of a baby boy in Lake Michigan on Friday night. Chicago police said Surah Amon, 31, was charged with one felony count of first-degree murder and one felony count of strong probability of death. Police said officers responded to a call for service in the 7000 block of S. South Shore Drive just before 10 p.m. The body of the 1-year-old boy was recovered by the Chicago Fire Department Marine Unit and was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Initial police audio indicated that officers believed that the woman was a mother who was trying to kill her son. Amon is expected in court on Monday for a detention hearing.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Yahoo
A 1-Year-Old Boy Drowned in Lake Michigan. Now, a Woman Is in Police Custody
NEED TO KNOW A woman in Chicago is in custody after police allege she drowned a 1-year-old boy in Lake Michigan Police found the woman near South Shore Beach on July 18 The Chicago Fire Department's Marine Unit recovered the body of the boy, but he was pronounced dead at a local hospitalA woman in Chicago is in custody after police allege she drowned a young child in a lake. On Friday, July 18, at around 9:45 p.m. local time, police found the 31-year-old woman — whose identity has not yet been made public — in Lake Michigan near South Shore Beach, according to WOOD-TV, ABC 7 and WGN-TV. An investigation indicated that the woman had allegedly drowned a 1-year-old boy in the lake, the outlets reported. The woman was taken into custody and transported to a hospital, according to WOOD-TV. The Chicago Fire Department's Marine Unit recovered the body of the boy. He was then taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, per WGN-TV. The investigation remains ongoing. It is unclear what led to the incident. PEOPLE reached out to the Chicago Police Department for information, but did not immediately receive a response on Sunday, July 20. The identity of the baby has yet to be released, but a law enforcement source told WGN-TV that the child and the woman were related. Authorities have yet to announce the charges against the woman, but the case has been classified as a homicide, per WGN-TV. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Street Pastor Donovan Price, who visited the hospital after hearing of the incident, told WGN-TV, "The more I heard, the more tragic it got, the sadder it got." Read the original article on People
CBS News
19-07-2025
- CBS News
Woman in custody after allegedly drowning baby in Lake Michigan, police say
A 31-year-old woman is in custody after Chicago police said she allegedly drowned a 1-year-old boy in Lake Michigan Friday night. They said officers responded to a call for service in the 7000 block of S. South Shore Drive just before 10 p.m. The woman was placed into custody and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. The body of the child was recovered by the Chicago Fire Department Marine Unit and was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have classified the incident as a homicide. Area 1 detectives are investigating.
