Mother Charged With Murder In 2-Year-Old Brooklyn Girl's Death
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A woman was charged with murder Tuesday in the drowning death of a 2-year-old Brooklyn girl over the weekend.
Lin Li, 24, was charged with murder, manslaughter, and acting in a manner injurious to a child, police said.
Officers found Melody Pheng unconscious and unresponsive in her family's home at 652 47th St. in Sunset Park just before 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The Associated Press reported that Li was Melody's mother.
She was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
"The cause of death is drowning. The manner of death is homicide," said New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson.
Prior to the medical examiner's ruling, the NYPD had said it was investigating the death as a child abuse case.
NYPD Assistant Chief Pat Conry said Monday there is no history of prior child abuse reports at the residence.
A 4-year-old child at the home has been removed into the custody of child protective services, Conroy said.
