3-year-old dies after aunt allegedly pushed him off Navy Pier into Lake Michigan

CHICAGO (CBS) — A 3-year-old boy has died after he was pushed off Navy Pier by his aunt, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner. 

Victoria Moreno, 34, of Des Plaines, Illinois, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery to a child under the age of 13 causing permanent disability, police said Wednesday.

Sources told CBS Chicago the boy struggled for nearly 20 minutes before he was rescued by Fire Department divers.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Susanna Ortiz denied bail for Moreno during a Wednesday bond hearing, despite defense arguments that she suffers from mental issues.  

Prosecutors said Wednesday that 3-year-old Josiah Brown was pushed Monday afternoon into Lake Michigan by his “beloved aunt” who then stood by as he sank to the lake bottom off Chicago’s Navy Pier, where divers found him a half-hour later.

The boy went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to Lurie Children’s Hospital in “very critical condition,” officials said. 

A woman who was at Navy Pier and witnessed the incident, Ashton King, told CBS Chicago she saw the boy floating and immediately jumped into action while the aunt allegedly stood by and watched.