Autopsy planned for baby allegedly thrown in river
ALLENTOWN, Pa. » An autopsy is scheduled for Monday on the 1-year-old Pennsylvania boy who died six days after authorities allege he was thrown into a river by his mother.
Zymeir Perry, of Allentown, died shortly before noon Saturday, according to the Lehigh County coroner’s office. An autopsy would be done to determine the cause of death, Coroner Scott Grim said.
Authorities allege that Johnesha Monae Perry, 19, pushed the boy in a stroller halfway across an Allentown bridge on May 3, then put the child on the railing and kissed him before pushing him into the water 52 feet below. She then jumped in herself, authorities said.
Witnesses said she was able to get to shore before collapsing, while a police officer pulled the boy from the river about 700 yards downstream and performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Perry was charged earlier with attempted homicide, endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault. She was discharged from the hospital and moved to Lehigh County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, authorities said.
District Attorney Jim Martin told The (Allentown) Morning Call he plans to hold a news conference Monday to update the case. He declined comment on whether Perry has spoken about what led to the events on the bridge.
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