A 31-year-old woman has been charged with first-degree murder after authorities say she drowned a 1-year-old boy in Lake Michigan late Friday night in the city’s South Shore neighborhood.
Surah Amon, of Chicago’s Burnside community, was arrested by police at approximately 9:54 p.m. near the 7000 block of South South Shore Drive, just minutes after the child was found unresponsive in the water.
According to the Chicago Police Department, officers initially responded to reports of a woman in the water. Upon arrival, they learned Amon had allegedly drowned the child.
The Chicago Fire Department’s Marine Unit recovered the infant from the lake and rushed him to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Amon has been charged with:
- One felony count of first-degree murder
- One felony count of murder with a strong probability of death or injury
She remains in custody and is expected to appear for a detention hearing on Monday. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the child’s identity.
The motive behind the alleged drowning has not been disclosed, and Area One detectives are continuing their investigation.
This tragic case has sparked renewed concern in Chicago about child welfare and mental health crises, with many awaiting further details on what led to the fatal incident.
