A New York woman was clutching her baby son in her arms as she plummeted eight stories out of an apartment window and to her death in what is being called a suicide on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. The woman did end up dead, but her 10-month-old son lived and is should be alright, according to police and the Associated Press.
Cynthia Wachenheim was found dead on the street in New York. Her son Keston was located close by and near her arms. A police officer responded to the scene and took the baby to a hospital, where he was listed as being in critical but stable condition.
A seven-page suicide note was found by police, under a bed in Wachenheim's apartment that she shared with her husband. The note from the 45-year-old woman said that she realized she was about to do an "evil" deed, but was concerned with how her child was developing.
Neighbors say that the baby was an only child. It is not known at this time whether Keston had any mental or physical issues.
Police say there were no signs of a struggle inside the apartment and that a window was wide open. Wachenheim's husband left the apartment about an hour before she plunged to her death. He was seen on security cameras departing the building.
Steven Dominguez, an 18-year-old resident of the area, was walking to the store with his mother when he saw the woman fall. He said the baby bounced off of her body, and that is what broke the child's fall somewhat.
"I heard a scream like a yell," Dominguez said. "When I got closer, I saw the baby crying."
He said the baby was face down.
"I was shocked," he said. "I couldn't believe it."
Dominguez states that his mother went to pick up the baby off of the ground, but an emergency response person told her to keep her distance.
31-year-old resident Yaa Dwamena said the woman has lived in the building for several years and that she has seen Wachenheim a number of times.
"I wouldn't have thought anything was wrong with her," she said. "They were a happy-looking family. I wouldn't think anything like this would happen."
For e-mail updates whenever a new article is posted, please subscribe at the top of the page and follow me on Twitter: @CapnDanny, GooglePlus, or join my group on Facebook and Celebrity Buzz.
Comments