Toddler Killed When Woman Throws Boy off Apartment Balcony, Say NYC Police

NEW YORK (CBS/WCBS) A woman who police say has a history of depression was arrested Wednesday in the death of a 2-year-old boy after allegedly throwing the child off a New York City apartment balcony.

The tragedy happened around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Heartbreaking. I couldn't believe it. I don't know how it happened," neighbor Jonathan Wang told CBS affiliate WCBS.

His son used to play with 2-year-old Jerry Zhou, the toddler who investigators said died after being thrown from the seventh-floor balcony of an apartment building.

The Queens District Attorney said 53-year-old Xiao Cai, who lived with the little boy and his mother, got into an argument with her own daughter and, for some reason, threw the boy off of the balcony.

"She attempted thereafter to throw herself off, but was pulled off by other people in the apartment," D.A. Richard Brown told the station.

Brown said Cai is not related to the child she killed.

According to WCBS, 2-year-old Jerry's mother was in the apartment at the time, and neighbors said she ran to the sidewalk where the boy lay dying.

Neighbors said police have been called to the apartment before because Cai had previously shown signs of mental illness.

"She was always afraid people were trying to kill her, poison her. She had mental problems," neighbor Jonathan Wang told WCBS.

Cai, while under arrest, was hospitalized and is undergoing psychiatric tests.