CHICAGO (CBS) — The woman accused of killing her 3-year-old nephew in 2022 by pushing him from Navy Pier into Lake Michigan has been found mentally fit to stand trial while on medication.
Victoria Moreno, 35, is charged with three counts of murder, one count of aggravated battery on a child, and two counts of aggravated kidnapping in the death of Josiah Brown. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Cook County prosecutors have said Moreno pushed Josiah into the lake near Navy Pier on Sept. 19, 2022, and did nothing to help as the boy sank into the water.
Chicago Fire Department divers pulled him from Lake Michigan after about 30 minutes. but he died six days later.
In court, Moreno’s attorney has suggested she suffers from mental illness, but after a forensic psychiatric examination she was found mentally fit to stand trial with medication, according to Cook County Court records.
Moreno is due back in court on July 10, and court records show her public defender plans to bring in their own expert to conduct an evaluation. She is being held in the Cook County Jail awaiting trial.
Prosecutors I mentioned that Josiah was in the house where he lived with his grandmother and another aunt in Des Plaines on September 19, 2022, when Moreno stole the keys to the family’s truck and took Josiah without permission.
Prosecutors said Moreno was not allowed to drive because of medications she takes for mental health problems. The family was especially concerned because Moreno had also taken three children living in the family home to Navy Pier without permission the week before. The oldest child, an 11-year-old, called other family members for help and told them where they were.
Prosecutors said Moreno drove Josiah to Chicago, where she first tried to enter the Shedd Aquarium but was turned away because she only had cash and couldn’t afford admission. She then went to Navy Pier, bought Josiah a Happy Meal at McDonald’s and then took him outside, where chains on poles lined Navy Pier to keep people out of Lake Michigan.
Josiah crawled under the chains, and when no one was looking, Moreno climbed over the chains, straddled him and pushed him into the lake, prosecutors said.
Chicago Police
Moreno sat staring into the water while Josiah was drowning. Prosecutors said the incident was recorded by surveillance cameras at Navy Pier.
The two witnesses called the police and were given a life ring, but Josiah sank underwater. Moreno did not ask for help and pretended not to know the child when questioned by police, prosecutors said.
Fire department divers pulled him out and took him to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he died six days later.
