A Louisiana woman accused of throwing her two young children off of a bridge was indicted Wednesday by a Caddo Parish grand jury for murder and attempted murder, according to the Associated Press.
Ureka R. Black, 33, will now head to trial for the death of her 10-month-old son Joshua C. Black and for severely injuring her other son, a five-year-old whose name is being withheld from the media due to his status as a minor.
Authorities allege Black threw both of her children off the Cross Lake Bridge on the morning of September 24, 2021. The Shreveport Police Department initially responded to a call about an infant floating face-down in the water.
The baby, Joshua Black, was pulled from the water by marine patrol officers and was unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A short time later, Joshua’s older brother was also found in the water, floating on his back. While he was responsive, he was also badly hurt and was rushed to LSU Oschner Health Shreveport with “life-threatening injuries,” according to police.
The 5-year-old would eventually provide was police said was critical evidence in identifying his mother as the person who threw him and his baby brother from the bridge.
Ureka Black was taken into custody without incident after her gray Dodge Caravan was discovered at a rest stop a few hours later.
If convicted, Black faces 10 to 50 years in jail on the attempted murder charge, while the murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence.
Black is currently being held in the Caddo Correctional Center and being evaluated as to whether she is mentally competent to stand trial, according to KTBS. Her attorney, public defender Elizabeth Gibson, has declined to comment as she awaits the medical evaluation.
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