Patricia Ripley, Mother Accused Of Drowning Autistic Son In Canal, Faces Death Penalty

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — A grand jury has indicted Miami mother, Patricia Ripley, for first-degree murder in the drowning death of 9-year-old son with autism and prosecutors say they'll pursue the death penalty.

Under Florida law, only someone who is indicted by a grand jury can receive the death penalty.

She's accused of the May 21 death of Alejandro Ripley. The boy suffered from severe autism and couldn't speak.

Alejandro Ripley (Source: Miami-Dade Police)

Police say his mother initially called 911 and said two Black men took her son after running her off a road and took the boy. The call led to an Amber Alert.

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His body was found the next day in a canal a few miles away.

However, police have surveillance video which they say shows Ripley pushing the boy into a  canal, but witnesses rescued him and sent them on their way.

After that, prosecutors say, she drove him to another canal at a Kendall Lakes golf course, where he drowned.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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