Police were called to the area of Beach Street and East Freeway shortly before 6 p.m. March 22, after receiving reports that a car had gone into the Trinity River.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A 1-year-old boy whose body was pulled from the Trinity River about two weeks ago was killed after his mother intentionally drove into the water, Fort Worth police say.
Police were called to the area of Beach Street and East Freeway shortly before 6 p.m. March 22, after receiving reports that a car had gone into the Trinity River, officials say.
The boy was identified as Jonas Allen, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The driver, later identified as Melanie Robinson, 38, was pulled out of the water and taken to a local hospital in critical condition, where she died three days later on March 25, our content partners at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram report. Fort Worth Fire Department crews using boats equipped with SONAR found the child’s body in the river and recovered the body on March 23, officials say.
Police confirmed to WFAA Friday that the child’s death was ruled a homicide “due to the totality of the circumstances in the investigation.”
“The driver intentionally drove into the water” police said in a statement. “We are not at liberty to say what family members, witnesses, and any possible medical history may have been shared with investigators.”
Police told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that if the mother had survived, she’d have been arrested and charged on a complaint of capital murder of a person under 10 years old.
It’s unclear how police determined the cause of the child’s death.