Florida woman fatally flings four-year-old daughter into river
A Florida woman was arrested on Thursday and charged with first-degree murder after she allegedly tossed her 4-year-old daughter into a river. Shakayla “Kayla” Denson, 26, was arrested on Thursday (August 2) after Tampa Bay police received an anonymous call about a girl being thrown into the river, as per the press release from the Tampa Bay Police Department.
Shakayla's daughter, Je’Hyrah Daniels, was found unconscious 75 feet from the shore. She was immediately rushed to the local hospital where the doctors tried to revive her. Unfortunately, even after countless attempts, she was pronounced dead. Tampa Bay police allegedly saw Shakayla walking nearby and she was taken into custody.
As reported by People, police found out that Shakayla had stolen a grey Nissan Altima from a vehicle repair store and drove to the Hillsborough River with her daughter, where she waded into the water with Je’Hyrah. Once the two were in the water, Shakayla reportedly threw her daughter into the river and started walking away. The police are still investigating the incident.
It is still unclear why she chose to drown her daughter. “Unfortunately at this time, there are much more questions than there are answers,” Police Chief Brian Dugan told reporters, as reported by Fox 13 News. “It’s the craziness of the world we live in at this time.”
At the same time, she was also charged with aggravated child abuse and grand theft auto. It is unclear if she has retained an attorney. Nine months before this incident, Shakayla had started a GoFundMe page in which she had revealed that her daughter, Je'hyrah had been diagnosed with autism spectrum.
She titled her page as 'Life with Je'hyrah' and hoped to raise money for treatment and her daughter's future. "My daughter was recently diagnosed with the autism spectrum, my goal is to start saving for therapy equipment, and also for Je'hyrah's future. I've also gathered interest in reaching out to others living with autism and would enjoy providing strategies and resources I've learned to help them get through the day. Thanks and I appreciate it," she wrote.
In an update, she posted a picture with her daughter and two seemed to be happy and comfortable in each other's company. She captioned the picture as "What autism look like". With the page, Shakayla had hoped to raise $1,500. Unfortunately, she never got any. Till date, there have been no donations. However, people were quick to express their condolences as one wrote, "Sweet precious baby, fly high with the angels. I’m so sorry this happened to you," while another added, "This child is now deceased by her Mother's hands. I pray for the family. And I pray for this beautiful little girl."