Two charged for child thrown off bridge into river

Originally posted August 31, 2016

Two people have been charged with Reckless Endangerment for throwing a four year old child off of a bridge into the Wynoochee River.

The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office tells KXRO that the investigation began last week on the Devonshire Road train bridge just outside Montesano after a four year old child had been thrown from the train trestle into the Wynoochee River by an adult and footage of the incident was posted on Facebook.

 

 

 

According to the witnesses, several people were yelling at the man on the train trestle NOT to throw the child but the man did it anyways.

Witnesses said that the mother of the child swam out underneath the bridge before the man threw the child into the water while wearing a life jacket, landing on his back.

The Sheriff’s Office and a Washington State Patrol trooper arrived on scene and found the child and mother, a 22 year old Aberdeen woman.

As a precautionary measure, EMS was called to the scene and found that the child was not injured.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the mother told deputies that she had lost sight of her son and then saw the man throw her son from the bridge. She changed her statement after talking to deputies, saying that her child had asked multiple times to jump off of the bridge. She says that a man she met at the river offered to throw her son down to her as she was in the river below the bridge.

The 35 year old Aberdeen man who threw the child was found at the scene and said that he had just met the mother, and said “he was just trying the help the 4 year old jump off of the bridge safely.”

Deputies believed the man was under the influence of alcohol at the time.

The child was released to the mother and Child Protective Services was notified.

This week, both the mother and the 35 year old man were cited Wednesday for Reckless Endangerment and 2 children were taken into protective custody from the woman’s home.

The man was also cited for Criminal Trespass 2nd degree for being on the train trestle which was private property.

 

In the State of Washington, Reckless Endangerment (RCW 9A.36.050) is as follows: A person is guilty of reckless endangerment when he or she recklessly engages in conduct not amounting to drive-by shooting but that creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person.

Reckless Endangerment is a gross misdemeanor that can be punished by up to 364 days in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree is a misdemeanor that can be punished by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

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