LONG BEACH : More Tests Set for Woman Accused in Murder of Son
The arraignment of a woman accused of throwing her two young sons off a bridge has been postponed after lawyers said Thursday they needed more time to evaluate her mental condition.
Donna Jean Fleming, 24, has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial for the Feb. 21 murder of her 3-month-old son, Craig, and the attempted murder of 3-year-old Michael Fleming Jr.
Another hearing was set for May 4 in Long Beach Municipal Court, after prosecutors and Fleming’s attorney agreed that the San Pedro housewife’s psychiatric evaluation was inadequate.
Fleming allegedly threw her sons into the chilly Los Angeles River from the Ocean Boulevard bridge in Long Beach, then jumped in herself.
Lifeguards and paramedics saved Fleming and her older son, who has since recovered from injuries suffered in the fall. The younger boy drowned before rescuers could pluck him from the 20-foot-deep waters.
Fleming is being held without bail at the Sybil Brand Institute for Women.
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