LONG BEACH : Fitness Trial Set for Woman Who Threw Sons in River
A judge ruled Monday that a jury must decide whether a mother who threw her two young sons into the chilly Los Angeles River on Feb. 21 is competent to stand trial for murder and attempted murder.
Superior Court Judge Harold Shabo set a June 5 competency trial in Long Beach Municipal Court for Donna Jean Fleming, 24, who has been held without bail since the death of her 22-month-old son Craig and the hospitalization of his 3-year-old brother, Michael Jr.
Two psychiatrists had given conflicting opinions on Fleming’s competency to stand trial, and Deputy Dist. Atty. Ron Geltz had asked the judge to allow a jury to decide the issue.
Fleming allegedly threw her sons into the river from the Ocean Boulevard bridge in Long Beach, then jumped in herself. Lifeguards and paramedics were able to save the mother and her older son, who has recovered from the injuries he suffered in the 50-foot fall and is living with his father. The younger boy drowned before rescue personnel could pluck him from the 20-foot-deep water.
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